Somebody to Love
by Iri711
Summary: Carlisle Cullen is the father, for all intents and purposes, of six perpetual teenagers: Edward and Bella, Emmett and Rosalie, Alice and Jasper. His children have found love, but Carlisle in 350 years is still without a mate. He has no idea what Emmett and Rosalie could possibly have done to merit a meeting with their teacher. Little does he know, fate works in weird ways.
1. Parent-Teacher Conference

**Hello! Welcome to "Somebody to Love". I originally started writing this story a while back, and I posted it on another site. I have 32 chapters so far, and I'm almost done with it. The title of this story was inspired by the song "Somebody to Love" by Queen. Most chapter titles are symbolic of a song that goes along with the theme of the chapter. I will place excerpts from those songs in my chapter notes. I hope you enjoy it.  
**

 **Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

 _ **Parent-Teacher Conference**_

 **Carlisle's POV**

The noises of the hospital were comforting to me, even if some of them didn't bode well. A man with cancer was flat-lining upstairs. A little girl was all but screaming as a cast was put on her arm. I took a deep breath, noting certain scents as well: sterile wipes, latex gloves, gauze, and blood. The last one didn't bother me at all anymore. I had guarded myself against vampire nature many years ago to pursue this line of work. It was a pity my shift had ended.

As I walked toward the lounge, a receptionist called after me. "Dr. Cullen." I turned around. "You have a phone call." I hid my confusion. My children— of sorts— were in school, and no one else would need to contact me at work. I thanked the receptionist and took the phone.

"Hello," I said. I didn't know what to expect, but I definitely wasn't expecting the voice I heard to be so entrancing.

"Dr. Cullen, this is Esme Allen. I teach Architecture at Forks High School. I was wondering if it would be possible to set up a Parent-Teacher conference with you sometime this week," she said evenly.

"My shift just ended. I could come by after school today, if that's all right," I suggested. What on Earth went wrong at the school? "Is there a problem?"

"Today is fine, 3:30 in classroom 14. I just wanted to speak to you about Emmett and Rosalie, but my next class starts in one minute so I'll go into detail later. Thank you, Dr. Cullen," she said. I didn't speak for a moment. Her voice was like a symphony.

"You're welcome, Ms. Allen," I replied. I hung up the phone. On the way to my car, I considered pulling them out of school for the rest of the day. I had never been called to Forks High Scool for a conference before. As a matter of fact, I'd never been called into any school for any conference in all the years that I'd spent with Edward, Bella, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie. I considered each of them my children.

Some humans found it weird that a seemingly young bachelor would adopt six teenagers, but there was a story for them all. In reality, Edward and Bella were dying of the Spanish Influenza. They were already in love and about to die together when I bit them. They were the first of my children. Now, we say that their families were friends, and a nautical accident took their parents.

I had found Rosalie dying on the street, and a few years later she found Emmett dying in the woods. The two of them fell in love soon after. Rosalie pretends to be Jasper's twin, and Emmett is supposedly Alice's older brother.

Alice and Jasper adopted us in a way. They joined my family with their own histories and meshed perfectly with the others. I smiled as I thought about how well this all worked out. One hundred years ago, I was alone, and now I had a big family with only one thing missing. I pushed the idea from my mind, though. Edward always smirked suggestively when I considered myself with a wife. He'd been doing an awful lot of smirking in recent years.

It was a solid dream of mine, but it could not be. Not once in my three hundred odd years had I ever been in love. I thought of Esme Allen's voice again. Even in formal tones it was beautiful. My cell phone vibrated, interrupting my day dream. Alice was reminding me about my meeting. Of course, she would have seen it. Alice's visions were very helpful most days. I glanced at the clock. There was just enough time for me to drive the speed limit. The drive was short and uneventful. However, I did manage to arrive before my family left. Emmett narrowed his eyes at Alice as I parked next to Edward's Volvo.

"I thought you were just joking," he said accusingly. Alice stuck her tongue out at him. I shook my head at them.

"I'll meet you at home, and when I find out what this is about, we'll discuss it," I said to Emmett and Rosalie. They nodded and got in the car. I walked into the school and located classroom 14 with ease. A young woman in her mid-twenties was sitting behind the desk grading papers. She looked up when I entered the room.

"Dr. Cullen, I presume," she said. Her voice sounded strong, but there was something different beneath it; something that hadn't been there before.

"Yes," I admitted. She stood and leaned against the marker board. "Call me Carlisle, please."

"Carlisle," she said, testing my name. I smiled. "Emmett and Rosalie are two of my best students. They're every teacher's dream— intelligent, hard-working, and well-mannered— but they have a problem with keeping their hands to themselves. I've given them several warnings for Public Display of Affection. I really don't want to send such brilliant kids to ISS but I'm running out of options. To be perfectly frank, I also doubt it would do much good. I was hoping that you could shed some light on subject. Do they behave this way at home? Have other teachers discussed this with you?"

I could see that she was getting flustered. "Emmett and Rosalie have always had a slightly physical relationship. I have never been talked to about it, but I think you might be the only teacher who manages to catch them," I said. She looked disconcerted. 'Slightly' had been an extreme understatement, of course. "What exactly did Emmett and Rosalie do?" Part of me was sure I didn't want to hear the answer, but nevertheless I had asked.

"I saw them leave the paint room together," she said quietly sounding a little embarrassed. "Rosalie was telling Emmett to be more careful with her clothes because he had accidentally ripped a seam on her shirt."

"That would explain why the girls went shopping," I mused. "I will discuss this with Emmett and Rosalie. Do you have any suggestions?"

"I don't know. Rearranging their schedules is one option," she said honestly. "This is my first year as a teacher at Forks, and I've never had children so I can't really recommend anything more than that. Punishments aren't my specialty. Perhaps, your wife might have some ideas."

She knew I wasn't married, but she wanted to hear me say it. That, or I was misreading her tone; which was the more likely of the two. Either way, I was obligated to reply.

"I'm not married, Ms. Allen," I said. She smiled almost imperceptibly.

"You may call me Esme, if you like," she said. I nodded. She took a deep shaky breath. Only a vampire could've heard it. I couldn't help but smile at the effect I had on this lovely woman. Her heart was beating with excitement, not fear.

"That's all I wanted to discuss, I guess. Dr. Cullen..."

"Carlisle," I reminded her.

"Carlisle, they really are good kids," she complimented. "I've seen Alice, Jasper, Edward, and Isabella around school too. They are all very polite."

I nodded. "Feel free to let me know if Emmett and Rosalie misbehave again," I said. I took another good look at her as I felt the meeting come to a close. Her long, wavy locks were the color of caramel. Her heart-shaped face was framed with it. Her eyes were blue with flecks of gray and showed her wisdom. They seemed so endless. Standing at about 5'5, Esme Allen was beautiful.

I had moved toward her without realizing it. I forced myself to look away, breaking the spell of wonder. As I walked toward the door, I just couldn't get over the way she looked, but then I took a deep breath, and her appearance was nothing. The scent that surrounded me completely was like every sweet thing in existence. Venom pooled in my mouth, reminding me of what I was. I swallowed it and took another step toward the door.

"Ms. Allen..."

"Esme," she corrected.

"Esme," I said wistfully. "Do you enjoy dancing?"

She nodded absently. "I love to dance, but I haven't in a very long time."

"Would you like to go dancing with me Saturday night?" I asked. She bit her bottom lip. A small pool of disappointment tainted my hope. She was going to say no.

"I'd like that," she said, smiling at me. Her smile was more dazzling than lightning dancing across the sky. A surge of happiness flooded through me.

"I'll pick you up at six o'clock on Saturday evening, then. I know of a wonderful place in Tacoma," I said. "Where shall I meet you?"

"That sounds wonderful," she replied. "My address is 1589 Cedar Avenue. I live in town."

"I'll see you Saturday, Esme," I promised. She waved. As I left the classroom, I could hear her collapse into her chair and make a solid attempt to even her breathing. I did the same when I reached my car. Esme was a wonderful woman. I looked forward to getting to know her. Maybe, just maybe, I had finally found somebody to love. Still, it felt very hypocritical. I was always stressing the importance of blending in with the humans but not getting too close to them.

I tried not to dwell on it as I pulled into the garage. Edward was waiting for me by his Volvo. Emmett's Jeep and Rosalie's M3 were both gone.

"The girls are shopping, and the other two are hunting. I wanted to wait for Bella. We're going dancing on Saturday as well. Don't worry, though. We're going to Seattle," he said. There was an amused smile on his face.

"I know," I confessed to him. "I know that I'm breaking my own rule, but I couldn't help myself." I trailed off, unable to explain the feeling that had taken over my senses. It had been a sudden need to be near her. I had to make sure I would see her again.

"I get it, Carlisle," he said. "You took one good, long look and swore you'd never look away again. 91 years ago, I did the exact same thing, and two years after that I made sure I'd never have to. I kept my vow too. When Bella got sick, well you remember better than I do."

"You wouldn't leave her side. Eventually, you came down with the influenza, and it took two orderlies to get you into your own room," I recalled. "The separation sent you both spiraling downhill fast."

"You told them to put us in the same room," he added.

"You both started to look considerably better after that, but Bella's body had been fighting too hard. She wasn't going to last much longer. You kept telling me not to let her die," I continued.

"You were honest with me. You told me that she wouldn't survive the night. I took her hand as she slept and said, 'Then we will die together.'. We'd only been married for a few months, but I knew I'd never love another," his voice sounded distant. He was reliving that day 89 years ago. So was I.

"You were determined to go with her, too. Your hearts were beating in perfect synchronization. Every skipped beat, every falter, was exactly the same. I couldn't let love like that die," I admitted. I continued remembering. When Edward and Bella's breathing had gotten shallow enough to go unnoticed, I passed them off as dead. The hospital had sent me home. They knew how hard I had fought for the young lovers. It had been all too easy to steal their bodies from the morgue. No one noticed. One mature vampire trying to handle two newborns was difficult, but it could have been much worse.

Bella had an unnatural amount of control over herself. Edward soon found out that he could hear the thoughts of those around him, except Bella, of course. Her shield was impenetrable. Edward hadn't been thrilled by this revelation. Over the years, Bella learned how to extend her shield to others and take it from herself completely. Each talent was the other's opposite.

I wondered idly if Esme would have an extra ability. No, I stopped myself. She wouldn't become a vampire. She wouldn't want to. I couldn't tell her about my family and me. Sorrow settled into my long-dead heart.

"You never know," Edward interrupted. "Miracles happen. Look at Emmett. By all reasoning, Rosalie should have killed him long before she made it to you. You appreciate Ms. Allen's scent, but it doesn't overpower you. Just think about it. My suggestion would be to go out, have fun; and, when the time comes, you tell her what you are. If it is meant to be, she will accept you."

"I suppose there's no going back now. I still have to talk to Emmett and Rosalie about their behavior in class," I cut off when I saw Edward grin.

"Don't be too hard on them," he said. "It's Alice's fault, really. She had a vision about you meeting Miss Allen, and she wanted to speed up the process. It's really better that she'll be with you Saturday night. She was supposed to get into a car accident on the way to the store. Alice's vision changed on the way home. The new version is much better, trust me. I'm going to get the TV set up for movie night. The girls are coming down the driveway with Emmett and Jasper right behind them."

I was shocked. Alice didn't usually keep her visions a secret unless they were personal or irrelevant. Yet, I wondered what she had seen for us. Edward ran to the house, but I walked slowly. Alice grinned at me as she stepped out of the car. There were at least twenty shopping bags hanging from her arms. Jasper appeared behind her.

"Do you need anything carried in?" I heard him ask Alice.

"Nope," she replied. He laughed.

"Alright, I guess I'll just have to carry you," Jasper said with mock seriousness. However, he did pick her up. He gave me a surprised smile as he walked by, no doubt reading my good mood. "Someone's happier than usual."

"Just counting my blessings," I told him honestly. There were so many I could scarcely believe they were mine. It seemed that just when I thought life couldn't get better it found a way to prove me wrong.

Movie night was always eventful, but I had a feeling the girls were ganging up on me. I had threatened to have Emmett's and Rosalie's schedules rearranged if they didn't behave in Esme's class. They were laughing about it.

"Our PDA has served its purpose. We won't get caught again," Emmett assured me with a wink. Edward shot me a sympathetic look. Alice clapped her hands together.

"Okay, our first movie is Cinderella the Musical as written by Rodgers and Hammerstein," she said excitedly. The boys groaned in unison, but one of the rules of movie night was that no one could leave. It was actually quite funny, and I'd seen it live a few times during Rodgers's and Hammerstein's lifetimes. The Great Depression was a bad time, but Rodgers and Hammerstein had found a way to make people laugh. There was one part that made me think of Esme.

"I have found her! She's an angel with the dust of the stars in her eyes! We are dancing. We are flying, and she's taking me back to the skies," Prince Christopher sang as he danced with Cinderella. I imagined dancing with Esme, having her in my arms. I barely even noticed Rosalie put in another movie.

"The Princess Diaries," she said. Emmett and Jasper rolled their eyes, but Edward was grinning. That's when I realized something was going on. The movie started out slow, but I soon figured out what its message was.

"How do you go in for a parent-teacher conference and come out with a date?" Mia demanded from her mother. Emmett turned to smirk at me.

"I don't know. How does that happen, Carlisle?" he asked suggestively. I decided to play along.

"You send in a three hundred sixty-seven year old vampire who has never had a date," I replied in sarcastic tones, even though it was true.

"So what are you going to do if she asks how old you are?" Rose asked.

"Divide by ten, and then subtract six," Jasper suggested. I laughed. That was a good plan. We watched the rest of the movie in silence, but I wasn't paying attention. I was thinking of Esme.

* * *

 **So, what do you think? Should I post the rest of what I have on here? Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.**


	2. We Are Dancing, We Are Flying

_**We Are Dancing, We Are Flying**_

 **Esme's POV**

I woke up a nervous wreck. Carlisle was a very handsome man, and I hadn't been on a date in years. The last man to take me out dancing was my ex-husband. Of course, that was during our joke of a marriage. I pushed the thoughts of him from my mind. I had overslept by a lot. It was one o'clock in the afternoon. I yawned, dragging myself out of bed.

I ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast, but it wasn't waking me up, so I took a long shower. The warm water calmed me down and woke me up while I washed my hair and face. I brushed my teeth vigorously to remove the cereal from my mouth. By the time I was finished, the clock said 3:30. Five days ago, at this time, Carlisle Cullen had walked into my classroom for a simple parent-teacher conference and left with a piece of my heart. We had talked on the phone and met up for lunch each day after our conference. Carlisle was a very interesting and compassionate man. It seemed silly, but I could swear I was falling in love with him already.

There was a knock at the door. I looked out a side window and saw Alice Cullen smiling at me. She had three garment bags in one arm and a tote bag hanging from the other. I opened the door.

"Hello, Miss Allen," she said cheerfully. "I hope you don't mind my visit. I thought you might like some help getting ready."

"Hello, Alice, come in," I replied nervously. "You're right. I must look like a mess right now. Does Carlisle know you're here?"

Alice shook her head. "His shift doesn't end until five. I brought all of my hair and make-up supplies as well as three gorgeous dresses that Bella absolutely refuses to wear. She says you can keep the ones you like, but no matter what I'm not to bring them back to her."

I laughed and the disapproval in her tone. It seemed that Bella didn't like clothes as much as Alice. She unzipped each garment bag to reveal the dress inside. I gasped.

"I can't accept a gift like this," I said. Alice smiled.

"I'll warn you now. Gifts aren't uncommon in my family. Carlisle is probably bringing you something tonight, as a matter of fact," she assured me. I bit my bottom lip and looked at the dresses again. They were beautiful. "Maybe you should try on each one."

Alice handed me an elegant gown that fit perfectly. It was dark blue with silver glitter, floor length, and halter-topped. I was observing it from every angle when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Alice offered. "It's Bella."

She opened the door, and Bella walked in.

"Alice, you forgot the shoes," she said immediately handing Alice three boxes. Bella looked at me. "You should wear that one, Miss Allen. It looks amazing on you."

"Hair," Alice said excitedly. She and Bella worked on my hair and make-up for what seemed like forever. They finished just as the doorbell rang again.

 **Carlisle's POV**

"Just wait until you see her," Bella said as she walked by me. Alice was out the door next.

"I am an artist," she said. I had wondered why their cars were in front of Esme's house. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at her. Two lone spirals framed her face. The rest of her caramel hair was pulled up in an elaborate style. Her dress clung perfectly to her body. A blush rose in her cheeks at my scrutiny. I could hear her heart beating wildly as I walked her to the passenger side of my Mercedes.

"You look beautiful," I said before I opened the door for her, and kissed the back of her hand. When she got in, I shut the door for her. I hurried over to my side and climbed in, reaching beneath my seat and pulling out Esme's present. She blushed even more when I handed it to her.

"It's wonderful," she said, looking at the silver necklace inside. The heart pendent shined in the light of the car. "Could you latch it for me, please?"

I nodded. She handed me the necklace. I hooked it around her neck and kissed her cheek. She smiled. I started the car and pulled away from her house.

"How did your visit with Alice and Bella go?" I asked nervously. Esme giggled a little bit at my discomfort.

"Alice came over to help me get ready. She even loaned me the dress. I had just tried it on when Bella showed up holding three shoe boxes," she laughed and proceeded to tell me about the playful arguments Bella and Alice had gotten into while giving her a make over.

"I thought that dress looked familiar. Bella hates it when Alice goes on a shopping spree for her. If she could keep Alice from knowing, Bella would return most of it," I explained.

"How would Alice know?" Esme asked curiously. Of course, I couldn't tell her that Alice would see Bella's intentions as soon as she thought of them.

"Bella is a horrible liar. Her expressions show too much guilt," I told her instead.

"That's good, in a way," Esme decided. "Bad liars are generally honest people. I like honesty. Are you a horrible liar?"

"Some days," I admitted. "But I do not usually have a reason to lie. When a patient asks what is wrong with them, I have to be honest. When an already beautiful woman endures a make over from my hyperactive daughter, I must tell her that she is the most entrancing angel I have ever laid eyes on."

She blushed deeply. It was silent for a few minutes until Edward's car passed us going ninety miles per hour.

"They need to slow down," Esme chided. Her tone took on a very maternal edge. I chuckled and wondered if she knew who was in the car.

"My son likes to ignore the speed limit. That was Edward and Bella. They're going to Seattle for an anniversary of sorts," I explained. "Their main anniversary was two months ago, but they also celebrate their first kiss and the day they realized they had fallen in love with each other."

"That is so cute," Esme sighed. "I've seen them walk through the halls holding hands, and I never have the heart to enforce the PDA rule. How long have they been together?"

"Let's see," I pretended to think about it. "It's been four years. I adopted them together about a year after they started dating. After being unable to save Bella's father, I wanted to give something to them. Neither had any family left."

"What happened?" she asked.

"Edward's and Bella's families were very good friends. One day, they all went on a trip to the beach. Their mothers went too far out, and both of them were pulled under. Mr. Masen and Mr. Swan tried to save their wives. Mr. Masen, Edward's father, didn't even make to the ambulance. Mr. Swan, Bella's father was brought in to the hospital. His left lung had collapsed.

"Edward and Bella were both distraught already, and I was the new doctor. I needed practice telling families that their loved ones were gone. Even though Edward had just lost his own parents, he was holding himself together on the outside. Bella fell to pieces completely, and he just held her. They were only fourteen years old and already in love," I told her sorrowfully. I hated lying to her, but this was the public story. "They stayed at the hospital that night, and I asked what they thought about living with me. I started the adoption process that week."

"That was sweet of you," she said, "to offer them a place in your home. Not many people would do that; especially not handsome young men."

"I'm fortunate enough to look much younger than I am," I said truthfully. "I'm thirty years old. Here we are."

The ballroom was full of people. I led Esme to the dance floor just as the band played the music for a waltz. Holding her in my arms was like holding the sun on a cloudy day. She mesmerized every sense. I could taste her vivid scent on my tongue. Her skin was like silk beneath my fingertips. Her voice blended with the music. She was beautiful in every aspect.

"You are a wonderful dancer," she complimented. I smiled.

"You are a wonderful woman," I mused. We danced for what seemed like an eternity.

"I think I need a break," she said. I nodded, and we walked to a table for two. I pulled out her chair.

"Thank you." Esme looked at me. "You're such a gentlemen. No one has ever opened a car door for me, or pulled out my chair."

"I would consider that criminal neglect," I assured her. She stiffened for a second, and the smile faded from her eyes. "Is everything all right?"

Esme shrugged. "The word 'criminal' has always bothered me," she said simply. I could tell there was something important lurking behind her words, but also that she didn't want to talk about it.

"How long have you lived in Forks?" I asked, changing the subject. Her tense posture became more relaxed again; the smile returning to her dazzling eyes.

"I moved here toward the end of May. My parents were a little upset with me for not moving back to Ashland, Wisconsin to be near them, but I wanted to be closer to the ocean. Besides, I have family here as well. My brother-in-law and my nephew live on the Quileute reservation, La Push," she replied. It was my turn to tense, then, as I remembered the treaty, which kept me from ever setting foot on Quileute land.

"What are your parents like?" Once again, I steered the conversation away from less pleasant paths.

"My mother is almost a carbon copy of her mother, my Grams. She sews, crochets, and is almost always baking something. She even used to sing while folding laundry," Esme said with a small laugh of reminiscence.

"Why did she stop singing?" I wondered aloud, lost in Esme's eyes and her words. The sadness crept back into her eyes.

"My sister, Vivian, died in a car accident," she said softly. "My mother and I haven't really seen eye to eye since that day."

"I am so sorry, Esme," I whispered, taking one of her hands in mine. The sorrow in her eyes pooled into one, lone tear and fell with a blink.

"I miss her, but my nephew has her eyes, and my nieces look more and more like her every day," she said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put such a damper on our evening."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Esme," I assured her, kissing the back of her hand. "If you want to talk about it, I will listen. It's hard to lose someone you love."

"It was a long time ago, but thank you. I might take you up on that offer someday," she said softly. I stared into her eyes until my cell phone vibrated in my pocket.

"Carlisle," I answered. The voice on the other end was Brandon Isaacs, one of my colleagues.

"Hey, Dr. Cullen, would it be possible for you to cover my shift, please?" he asked desperately. "My wife is really sick, and I need to take care of Ileana."

"What time is it supposed to start?" I asked.

"Ten o'clock. That's one hour," he said. I looked at Esme. She was waiting patiently.

"Okay," I said. "I'll cover for you. I hope your wife gets to feeling better."

"Thank you so much Carlisle," he said fervently. "I owe you one."

He hung up, and I closed my phone. "I'm sorry," I said. "It seems we'll be heading home early. That was Dr. Isaacs on the phone. His wife is sick; his baby girl needs to be taken care of; and his shift is supposed to start in an hour."

"That's okay," Esme assured me. "We've been dancing for an hour straight. I was getting kind of tired. Does that hospital ever let you sleep? You're so pale that the dark circles under your eyes make you look like a vampire."

She laughed. I forced myself not to tense up at the comment and laughed with her.

"I hear that from my children every now and then, but I enjoy my work," I admitted. "I've always wanted to help people."

"That might explain why you adopted six teenagers," she commented. "I always wanted children. I was even pregnant once, but I…" she hesitated, "I miscarried."

There was something in her tone that said her miscarriage wasn't an accident. I took her hands in mine, and kissed the backs of both of them. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes like it had earlier. We stood. I didn't know what to say as we walked to the car. I opened her door for her again.

"I'm sorry," Esme said as I got behind the wheel.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I just couldn't imagine losing one of my children," I shuddered at the thought. The drive back to Forks took less time than the drive to Tacoma. It was silent for the most part. When we reached Esme's home, I walked her to her door.

"I had a great time," she said.

"I'm glad. I enjoyed being with you," I agreed. "I'm sorry it got cut short."

"That's okay. It just means we'll have to do it again sometime," she suggested. I nodded.

"I'd like that." I cupped her face in my palm and softly pressed my lips against hers. It was like a bomb had exploded in my mind. As I pulled away, I looked into her eyes. The smile in them was back. I couldn't help myself. I kissed her again. My lips moved gently with hers until I had to remind myself that she was breakable. We broke apart, breathing heavily.

"You'd better get changed for work," she said. I had forgotten all about covering Brandon's shift.

"Yes, I suppose so," I murmured. I kissed the backs of her hands. "Good night, Esme."

"Good night, Carlisle," she replied. Her voice wrapped around me like a blanket of happiness, and, despite my cold skin, I felt warm inside.


	3. Never Again

_**Never Again**_

 **Esme's POV**

I waved goodbye to Carlisle as I unlocked my front door. The message light was blinking on my answering machine. I pushed the play button.

"Miss Allen, this Warden Phillips from Wisconsin State Penitentiary. I don't mean to alarm you ma'am, but your ex-husband, Dale Barnes, escaped two days ago."

My breath caught, and I listened to the rest of the message with dread.

"We'll find him. I doubt that he knows where you are, but be on the look out for him just in case."

I heard my answering machine cut off right before it thudded to the floor. I turned on a dime, but there was no time to scream.

"That warden doesn't give me much credit, does he, honey?" Dale growled in my ear. His hand was covering my mouth. His breath reeked of vodka. He kissed my neck, and tears rolled out of my eyes. "Come on, baby. This used to turn you on."

His free hand felt along my stomach, inching up toward my chest. Oh, God, I thought, this wasn't happening. I elbowed him in the ribs. He swore loudly, and threw me to the floor. He kicked me. I screamed for help, but there was no one here to help me. I tried to crawl away, but Dale flipped me over and sat on top of me. He punched my face, and I felt my lip split. He began choking me. I clawed at his face, but he just squeezed tighter. I reached around for something, anything. My fingers found the answering machine he had thrown to the floor. I hit him upside the head with it and ran. The bathroom was closest so I locked myself in there. I had left my cell phone by the sink earlier.

I quickly dialed the police department. "Help! I live at 1589 Cedar Avenue. My ex-husband has broken into my house."

"I'm sending a unit your way now," the dispatcher said calmly. Dale was pounding at the door.

"You bitch, I'll kill you," he threatened. The beating at the door went away. I could hear sirens approaching. One unit searched the house and the back yard. Dale was nowhere to be found. A different unit took me to the hospital to be checked over and got my statement. I wasn't looking when the doctor walked into the room.

"Ah, Dr. Cullen," the officer said with relief. Tears leaked from my eyes again. I didn't want him to see me like this.

"Esme," Carlisle gasped. "What happened?"

"Miss Allen's ex-husband broke into her house. He's an escaped convict. We searched the house and the area. He was nowhere to be found," the officer explained. Carlisle was looking at my bruises. I couldn't look into his eyes. A nurse came into the room.

"Dr. Cullen, Alice and Jasper are here. Shall I tell them to wait in your office?" she asked.

"That won't be necessary. I'll speak to them in a moment," Carlisle answered. He was struggling to stay calm. He looked at my face. "Does anything feel broken?" He seemed to be ignoring the fact that I had never mentioned my ex-husband before now.

"No," I replied. He continued to ask questions about my pain. I answered honestly. When he was done, I was sent for an x-ray. Carlisle kissed my forehead, and stepped out to talk to Alice and Jasper. The x-ray showed that nothing was broken. I was bruised and bleeding, but other than that completely fine, physically. The officer left. Carlisle looked into my eyes. His golden eyes were so pained I thought he might cry.

"Will you do me a favor, please?" he begged. I nodded. "Go to my house with Alice and Jasper. Even if your ex-husband did know where I lived, he would have more trouble than he could handle trying to get you there. Please, Esme, I'm going to see about getting out of here early."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes, please, I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you, Esme. I'm already stretched to my limit on how calm I can remain," he said. The thought of his anger scared me for some reason. Carlisle was the most caring man I had ever met, but I didn't know what would happen if rage overtook him.

"Okay," I agreed. I broke out in tears again. Carlisle hugged me close to him. Alice and Jasper walked into the room. Alice's face was set with worry, and Jasper's expression was the picture of rage. I flinched and his expression softened.

"Jasper has trouble controlling his temper when people mess with his family," Alice explained. I nodded numbly. Carlisle discharged me from the hospital and carried me to Alice's car.

"Tell Edward and Bella to come home. When they get there, send Emmett and Edward to me. You two, Bella, and Rosalie stay with Esme. Don't let her out of your sight, Alice, please. I'll be home as soon as possible," he said to Alice and Jasper. Carlisle gave me a quick kiss before going back inside the hospital.

"I'm sorry," I told them.

"This isn't your fault," Jasper assured me. "Besides, we know how much you mean to Carlisle. Our family tends to find their soul mates in the weirdest places. I first saw Alice in a diner that I'd walked into just to escape the rain. Edward and Bella used to make mud pies together. Rosalie saved Emmett's life."

"So, whose term is that?" I asked. "'Soul mate'."

"Mine," Jasper replied. "It's in his eyes. We used to hear gory stories about leg amputations, but now he talks about you more than he does the hospital. The number one love of his life has been replaced by a woman."

"I don't think so," I said honestly. "He talks about his kids all of the time. I think you guys are the number one love of his life."

"Carlisle loves his family," Jasper agreed. "And you love Carlisle."

That statement caught me off guard. He laughed.

"I knew it," he said. "It's in your eyes, too. Even hum- everyone else seems to pick up on the proximity of his or her other half. Oh, yeah, darlin' remind me to tell Emmett 'pay up' before we send him to Carlisle."

"What does that mean?" I asked curiously.

"I told Emmett that Carlisle was going to kiss you tonight, but he didn't believe me. Now, his Jeep is mine for a month!" Jasper explained cheerfully.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that you shouldn't gamble?" I wondered.

"No, but we don't bet money, and anything won is returned after an allotted amount of time," he said, defending himself. We had pulled onto a long winding driveway. It was so dark, that I couldn't see until we came upon a mansion. I wasn't surprised that they lived here. Jasper opened Alice's door and mine at the same time. I got out quickly, but Alice was still sitting in the passenger seat.

"No," she mumbled, sounding close to tears. She began to shake, but managed to climb out of the car. Jasper picked her up. We half-ran into the house. I didn't even have time to take in how beautiful it was before Alice was shouting. "Emmett, go to Carlisle now. You don't have time to wait for Edward. Go."

Emmett looked startled, but he headed for the door quickly. Just as he yanked it open, Alice sank to the floor.

"No," she moaned. "It's too late."

"Alice, what did you see?" Jasper asked frantically.

"Jasper!" Rosalie exclaimed. I could swear that her head was inclined toward me. I didn't know what was going on, but I was getting scared. Edward and Bella ran into the house. Edward took one look at Alice and groaned.

"Let's go, Emmett," he said. His tone was pained.

"There's no point," Alice argued. "It's too late to do anything. It only takes a split second to lose your temper. Even the calmest pacifist can be pushed too far. One split second and one snap decision is all it takes to change the future."

Sobs were racking through her body, but no tears came from her eyes. Jasper was on the ground with Alice, holding her in his arms.

"I know, but he needs to come home. It's time," Edward said. Alice nodded.

"What's going on?" I asked. Tears were sliding from my eyes now. Edward and Emmett left quickly, and no one said anything to me. No one explained. Horror filled my mind. Carlisle. He had been so angry.

"Please," I begged. "Please, tell me what's going on. Alice, if this were Jasper, you would want to know!"

She looked at me. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"Yes, you can, Alice. Please, I don't know how, but you know what's going on. If Dale hurt Carlisle because of me..."

A bitter laugh interrupted me. Jasper shook his head with mirth. "Carlisle can defend himself. He just doesn't like to fight."

I waited for what seemed like forever, but no one explained. I began to fall into the numb feeling I had in the courtroom on the day Dale was sent to prison. The sudden sound of footsteps on the porch was alarming. The boys were back. Carlisle was with them. He wouldn't look at me. My heart ached.

"Carlisle, what happened?" I asked through tears. He looked away. "Look at me!"

"I'm a monster, Esme," he whispered. "You don't want to see my face."

"Yes, I do," I reasoned. "You couldn't possibly be a monster. You're the kindest man I know."

"Earlier tonight, what did you say I looked like?" he asked.

"A vampire," I recalled, puzzled. He looked at me then, reluctantly. The gold eyes I loved to see had been replaced with a bright red. I jumped in spite of myself. He looked away again.

"I told you I was a monster. My eyes are red because I took a life tonight. I drained the blood from his body because I lost my temper," Carlisle whispered. I remembered what Alice had said earlier. "In my mind, it was justified. He had hurt you. He threatened to kill you and my family. My family would've laughed at his attempt on their lives, but you are so much more breakable than them. He threatened to take away the one thing I absolutely cannot live without. I snapped. I wouldn't survive if anything ever happened to you, Esme. I love you, but I'm a monster."

"So you and your family are vampires, and you killed Dale," I said making sure I had everything correct in my mind. I could feel my consciousness slipping. Two strong arms caught me before I hit the floor. A black nothingness took me, and I welcomed it. Maybe I was dreaming. Maybe, Dale had knocked me unconscious and this was a nightmare. I clung to the hope that this wasn't real. Maybe, I was falling into Ecl like a falcon from the Kiesha'ra series. Maybe, I could let the void have me. But like a whisper of something to wake up for, Carlisle's voice whispered in my ear.

"I'm so sorry, Esme," he said softly. "I'm so sorry!"

When I came around, I was lying on a couch in the living room.

"She's waking up," Alice said. Six relieved sighs surrounded me.

"Esme, I'm sorry," Carlisle said. His red eyes were hesitant to meet mine. It hadn't been a dream.

"Could you just explain this to me, please?" I begged.

"I was born in the mid-1600s. At the age of twenty-three, I became a vampire. I was repulsed by what I had become, but suicide is very difficult for my kind. I refused to feed on humans. One night, a herd of deer passed by me. I caught the scent of their blood, and even though it wasn't appetizing I was too thirsty to care. I attacked and found a new way to live. My family and I drink only the blood of animals. That is why our eyes are gold instead of red. I found Edward and Bella dying of the Spanish Influenza in 1918. Rosalie was dying in the street in 1933. A few years later, she found Emmett bleeding to death in the woods after a bear attacked him. Alice and Jasper sort of adopted us in the fifties."

I nodded, taking all of this information in slowly. It seemed so impossible. Yet, I knew he was telling the truth. The room started to spin again for a little bit. I felt a strange sense of calm ease over me.

"Well, we couldn't have you passing out again, could we?" Edward asked rhetorically. "You can thank Jasper for the mood modification, by the way. He has the ability to control the emotional atmosphere around him."

"Edward, you stay out of her mind," Bella chided. "I'm sorry about him. 89 years of invading everyone's privacy has dulled his manners. Edward can hear the thoughts of those within a three to five mile radius of him."

"Except for you Bella," Alice reminded her. "And judging by that pout he's not hearing Miss Allen anymore, either."

"Or Carlisle," Bella added. She turned to me. "For some reason, my mind is protected by a shield. No one can get inside my head unless I let them, and I can extend the shield from myself."

I was still nodding mechanically. "This doesn't explain why Alice was having a panic attack earlier," I told them.

"Alice can see the future," Carlisle said softly. "No doubt, earlier this evening she was seeing me at my worst."

Alice nodded sorrowfully. I put my hand on Carlisle's cheek and looked into his red eyes.

"You saved the world from a very dangerous man. Dale was an abusive alcoholic, but he was also an arsonist. The man barely escaped the death penalty in the first place. He set our house on fire with me in it. He was unstable. After all of this, it would have been lethal injection," I said, trying to make him feel better. The world was much better off without Dale.

"Actually, he would've gotten a double life sentence with no chance of parole but died of cancer within eight months. So technically, Carlisle did him a favor," Alice said quietly. "He died in a small fraction of the pain he deserved to be in after what he did to you!" There was venom in her voice. I flinched. They all noticed.

"I'm sorry," Jasper said. "I gave her a little too much anger."

To anyone else, that might've sounded odd, but to me it made something click.

"At the hospital, you were keeping Carlisle calm, weren't you?" I asked Jasper. He nodded.

"I was actually taking his rage into myself- as much as I could hold without going on a rampage, anyway. That kind of anger can't be covered up or pushed away. Scared-to-death and absolutely livid are a bad combination in a vampire. Alice volunteered to take some of it off of my shoulders because my control is so weak. With that said, I'm going for a walk."

It was left unsaid that he didn't trust himself not to attack me. Carlisle made eye contact with Jasper.

"The two of you have been through enough tonight. I won't risk making things worse," Jasper said to Carlisle. "Alice, would you join me, please? The stars have decided to make an appearance."

She took his hand. I watched them disappear into the night. Edward, Bella, Emmett, and Rosalie got up, too.

"Emmett and I will be in the garage working on the Jeep," Rosalie said to Carlisle. He nodded. I smiled, remembering my conversation with Jasper in the car.

"Emmett, you're in luck. Jasper forgot to tell you to pay up before he left," I said. Emmett burst out laughing.

"He told you about that?" he asked incredulously. I nodded. He laughed some more. "Well, at least something good happened tonight."

"Bella, love, will you get the Volvo from the garage before they get in there?" Edward asked. Bella was about to walk out the door when Edward stopped her. "On second thought, let's take your car. It could use a night out. I'll get the stereo from our room."

"If we're going to the meadow, what's the point in taking my car?" she complained teasingly.

"Your car is faster than mine," he explained with mock exasperation. Bella sighed but walked out the door. I narrowed my eyes.

"That reminds me. What is your aversion to driving the speed limit?" I scolded.

"I enjoy the speed. One day you'll understand what I mean," he replied. I didn't see how I'd ever enjoy driving fast enough to kill myself. Edward smirked.

"A vampire can hit a rock wall at 100 miles per hour and walk away without a scratch... unless the car explodes," he explained. A shiver ran down my spine at the word "vampire". I had a feeling that I wasn't going to get used to it anytime soon. Edward ran up the stairs and was back in a few seconds with a stereo in hand. He closed the front door behind him when he left and just like that we were alone.

"What did Emmett and Jasper bet about this time?" Carlisle asked curiously. I blushed.

"Jasper bet Emmett that you would kiss me tonight," I explained. He laughed quietly. The red in his eyes was still very vivid. "How long will your eyes stay red?"

"They will turn gold again once I hunt," he answered sheepishly. "My family and I try our best not to take human lives. It is the only way to retain our humanity. I'm sorry that you had to see me like this. I can take you home if you want me to."

"No, I'd rather not be there at the moment. The memory is too fresh in my mind." I shuddered. A pained look shot across Carlisle's face. He looked down at the floor. When I put my hand on his cheek, he lifted his head to look at me. He looked as if he'd never smile again.

"Is there any way to make you smile?" I asked. The sorrow remained on his face. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. He responded slightly and pulled me onto his lap.

"It's easier to be calm like this," Carlisle said. He wrapped his arms around me. His skin was cold, but I didn't care. "I always want to have you in my arms. Come Monday, I fear I will be very jealous of your students. They will have your attention for most of the day, and Alice has said the sun will be shining. I won't be able to visit."

"You come out during the day so what is it about the sunshine that makes you hide?" I asked. "Is it dangerous for you?"

"In a way, it is dangerous, but not hazardous to my health. In truth, not much is hazardous to my health. The problem with direct sunlight is hard to explain, but I will show you sometime," he promised. I was curious but decided not to press the subject. I had a better idea.

"I'm sure the school wouldn't blame me for taking Monday off," I mused. "You could show me then if you wanted."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," finally, Carlisle smiled. "You should sleep. It's late."

"I'm sorry I didn't mention having been married," I said, avoiding his gaze. "I don't really like to think about it."

"I can imagine. I assume your aversion to the word 'criminal' came from him," Carlisle mused. A slight edge of anger and disgust colored his tone.

"Yes," I admitted. "He and I were only married for three years. The divorce was finalized almost two years ago."

"Well, then, I'll just have to see that your next five years are much better than the last five," Carlisle said confidently. I snuggled closer to him. As Carlisle held me close, he began to hum a lullaby, and I drifted into a slightly uneasy sleep. I was never this comfortable with Dale, even before he had turned into an abusive jerk. It was weird. I had been married to a monster who thought he was a picture of perfection. Now, I was dating a picture of perfection who thought he was a monster.


	4. Caught in the Sun

_**Caught in the Sun**_

 **Carlisle's POV**

Watching Esme sleep was an experience like no other. She was at peace, when thoughts of that demon didn't plague her dreams. In truth, he plagued my thoughts, too. For as long as I had been a vampire, I had been very adamant about the sanctity of human lives. I decided not to feed on humans. I wanted to save lives. Yet, the more I thought of that night, the more its memory invited itself into my mind.

 _[Flashback]_

 _"May I take the rest of the night off?" I asked the Chief of Surgery politely. He looked startled._

 _"What's the matter, Carlisle?" he asked nervously. I smiled reassuringly._

 _"A family matter arose," I explained evenly. Technically, it wasn't even a lie. Esme was family. He nodded his approval after careful consideration. I jogged at a human pace until I was in the parking lot. Esme's house seemed like a good place to start. I could pick up a better trail than the police's canine unit. Before I could take off, a voice sounded from the woods._

 _"Hey," the man's voice shouted. "You picked the wrong man's woman to fuck with, asshole."_

 _I turned around. I suppose he expected me to run because when I walked toward him the cruel smile on his face faltered for half a second before returning full force. It was excitement and anticipation. He was expecting a fight. He continued shouting obscenities. I kept up a calm pace. It was the only calm I could manage._

 _"You will stay away from Esme," I told him firmly. "You will go to the police, and turn yourself in, and if I ever hear of you harassing Esme again, I will not be pleased."_

 _"Fuck you," he shouted. I stopped right in front of him. "I'm gonna kick your ass, you prissy little mama's boy. You rich bastards are all the same."_

 _"I wouldn't test my patience if I were you," I warned. Any notion of calm I'd ever had was leaving quickly. He motioned for me to come on and start the fight. He wanted me to try to punch him. I could do much more than try._

 _"I'll kill you, your family, and that bitch," he spat in my face. This last bit of goading was all it took. My fist connected with his face. The crunch of breaking bones was loud enough that a human standing next to us could've heard it. Blood spurted from what used to be his nose. I vaguely remembered my children referring to their bloodlust as a monster within them, but I had never felt the presence of that monster until now. With all of the speed and strength of the vampire I was, I grabbed his neck. My medical training took over in a sadistic way that I had never experienced before. I sank my teeth into his neck, allowing the venom to burn him for a little bit. He tried to scream, but his larynx had been strategically crushed by my thumb. Not a single bone was broken. I drank his blood to keep the venom from spreading too far, but soon found myself unable to stop. It was a sweet, warm elixir— even tainted with alcohol as it was. I drank until his body went limp and cast him to the ground— grinning with pleasure when his neck snapped even though I knew he couldn't feel it anymore._

 _The sound of running approached my ears. I turned to defend myself, but it was only Edward and Emmett. Their faces looked pained. Their expressions were mirrors of sorrow. I wondered what could have happened to make them so sad. Some part of my true self came back. I truly saw the body of the man who had attacked my Esme. His neck was turned at an odd angle. Realization of what I had done hit me like a brick wall. Against every standard I had held myself to; I had taken a human life._

 _"Carlisle," Edward said sympathetically. I looked away from my sons as they stopped in front of me. Edward sighed. "Emmett, will you take care of the body, please?"_

 _Emmett lifted the body from the ground, and ran deeper into the woods. I could feel Edward staring at me._

 _"We all slip sometimes," he assured me. "You were angry. No one blames you. I would have tracked him down, and tore him limb from limb."_

 _I continued to look away from him. Edward knew that his words weren't comforting, but he also knew that there was nothing he could say that would be. Instead, he rested a hand on my shoulder._

 _"I didn't mean to kill him. I told him to..." I trailed off. The memory was playing through my mind. Edward growled at some of the things the man had said to me. Emmett returned a few minutes later._

 _"We should go home now," he suggested. "Come on, Carlisle. Esme is waiting."_

 _[End Flashback]_

I opened my eyes. Esme was stirring lightly. I grabbed a book and began to read. She would be waking up soon.

 **Esme's POV**

I woke up to the bright sun shining on my face. Sleeping in on Monday was nice. I hadn't done that in a long while. The bed was so soft that I didn't want to get up. I stretched, looking for Carlisle. He was sitting in the corner, reading a book. He looked up and smiled at me.

"Good morning," I yawned. Carlisle chuckled. He thought my yawns were cute.

"Good morning," he replied. I waited patiently as he walked toward me, but he stopped right before stepping into the sun. Carlisle unbuttoned the cuffs of his sleeves. "I promised to show you what I meant about the sun," he began to unbutton the shirt itself. My breath caught at the sight of his bare chest. Just when I'd thought that he couldn't be more perfect. A memory triggered in my mind. Edward could hear my thoughts. I felt my face go red. Carlisle cocked his head to the side.

"The others are at Edward and Bella's meadow. We will join them later, if you want to," he qualified. I nodded.

"That sounds like fun," I said enthusiastically. I was too eager to know about the sun, though. I got off of the bed and walked to him until we were a foot apart. Carlisle reached out and cupped my cheek in his palm. In my peripheral vision, I saw a dazzling sparkle. I took Carlisle's hand from my face and examined it. I was awestruck. Seemingly, thousands of diamonds were glistening from his skin like they were embedded there. Carlisle stepped forward into the sunlight. I gasped at the sight of his scintillating body. His chest was perfectly muscular. I rested my hand over his heart even though I knew it was no longer beating. His skin was cold, as always. Bright gold eyes watched me closely. Carlisle had left me at the mercy of Emmett and Rosalie to go hunting yesterday. His golden eyes and glorious face shined like the sun.

"Wow," I breathed. Carlisle pulled me into his arms and chuckled. Cool lips pressed against my forehead. "I can see how this would be hard to explain."

"Yes, Alice said that you wouldn't have believed me if I tried to tell you that I sparkled in the sunlight," he admitted. I laughed. Much to my embarrassment, my stomach growled. I felt my face go red. Carlisle smiled and took me by the hands.

"Come," he said, pulling me gently toward the door. "I'll fix breakfast for you."

"You can cook?" I asked. It seemed like an odd skill for someone who didn't eat regular food. He shrugged.

"I may not be a gourmet chef, but even a vampire can follow instructions. Besides, Emmett likes to criticize the things humans eat. We watch the Food Network a lot," he admitted. "So, my dear, what would you like?"

I thought about it for a minute. "Potatoes and eggs," I decided. Within seconds the ingredients were laid out on the counter. I looked around at the kitchen. I had been given a tour of the house yesterday, but it was nice to just look at the structure. "Who did the interior decorating?"

"Alice and Rosalie," he replied simply. "It was mostly Alice, though. Rosalie spends a lot of time in the garage. She's restoring an old Chevy truck."

"I wouldn't have expected Rosalie to be interested in Auto Mechanics," I mused.

"A vampire's curiosity can take them to interesting places. Rosalie was dissatisfied with one of her vehicles many years ago. She took the entire thing apart and put it back together with some minor adjustments. The car could reach higher speeds after her modifications so she continued to study about them," Carlisle explained patiently, chuckling suddenly. "Back in 1989, Edward made Rose angry before he went hunting. He should have known better by then. Rosalie disassembled his car while he was gone and spread the pieces out over all fifty states. They were at each other's throats for weeks over it."

The laughter in Carlisle's voice was a tell-tale sign that this happened frequently. I smiled. "They must keep things interesting around here."

"Yes, but to be honest, I enjoy the noise. There are three types of sounds that I cherish: the cacophony of movement and machines at the hospital; the random daily activities of my children; and the rhythm of your heartbeat," he said, kissing me lightly on the forehead. The sound of tires on gravel filled the room. "Who could that be?"

Edward, Bella, Alice, and Jasper walked into the kitchen a few seconds later. "We left Emmett and Rosalie at the clearing. A herd of deer was nearby, and they haven't hunted in over a week. I could see that the two of you wouldn't show up for a few hours so we just came back to keep you company," Alice explained. I was momentarily distracted when Carlisle placed a plate of potatoes and eggs in front of me

"Thank you," I told him warmly, stretching up to kiss his cheek. "Carlisle says you and Rosalie did the interior design for the house, Alice. You did a wonderful job."

"Thanks, it was hard to decide on a theme for the house, but I was encouraged to keep it simple. They obviously just don't understand me. Simple doesn't exist when it comes to interior designing!"

I laughed. "You're welcome." I looked around again. The cabinets were probably almost as old as the house itself. The appliances were all new, but the countertops didn't seem to fit the look they implied. Edward chuckled.

"Just go ahead and say it. Only Alice will be upset. She likes the cabinets," he said. My face went red for the hundredth time today. Alice immediately gave me the pouty face.

"What's wrong with the cabinets?" she asked quietly. Her lower lip was quivering. I gave Edward a slightly irritated look.

"There's nothing wrong with the cabinets. I was just thinking that they were probably as old as the house. Architecture was my major in college. I was an architect for three years before I moved to Forks. I always have a critical eye," I assured her. The smile instantly returned to Alice's face. I looked around again, thinking of what I would do if this were my house. The thoughts flickered through my mind quickly.

"Go back to that last one," Edward and Alice said simultaneously. I jumped slightly and looked at them. Alice's eyes were unfocused. Edward looked like he was concentrating. I bit back my questions and went back to my last thought: expanding the livingroom. The idea had one black spot, though. It would be expensive.

Edward rolled his eyes at me. "That's not really a problem. I would be more worried about the entire second floor falling than that," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Good point," I muttered under my breath. It's hard for any teacher to admit that a student is smarter than she, but in this case it was true. "I'd have Emmett and Rosalie hold up the ceiling. It's always nice to have them on opposite ends of a room when you want something done, but it was an errant thought. Whoever built this house deserves praise. It's beautiful."

Alice started bouncing up and down. Jasper was smiling at her lovingly. The two of them were so adorable together. He grabbed her waist and attempted to hold her still. Her eyes were the size of silver dollars as she turned to face Carlisle.

"Can we expand the livingroom? Please, please, please: we would only have to knock out a few walls. Please!" she begged. "I had a vision when Esme thought about it, and it looked amazing. We put the TV in a cavity in the wall. There was a raised area like a stage for Edward's piano. The whole place was open. We put really big windows in, and the view was so amazing."

Carlisle turned to face me. I held my hands up. "I only envisioned a larger livingroom because when you went hunting yesterday Emmett told me about his wrestling matches with Jasper. He also told me about the times they almost took out a wall in the first place. I like Alice's idea, though. The extra space would give Jasper and Emmett room to maneuver to the door, and a stage would keep Edward's piano out of danger."

"Which would be a good idea because we landed on his last piano two years ago. We were still getting used to this house," Jasper added. Edward scowled at him.

"My favorite piano, you mean," he growled. Bella put a hand on his shoulder. He reached a hand up and rested in on top of hers. "That piano was an anniversary present."

"How long have the two of you been married?" I asked. Edward and Bella smiled brightly.

"Eighty-nine years," Bella answered. My eyes widened. "Carlisle changed us both a weeks after our wedding. Would you like to hear our story?"

I nodded enthusiastically. Edward chuckled. "Perhaps, we should sit down in the livingroom," he suggested.

"Excellent idea, son," Carlisle said. "We can decide which walls to knock out when the story is over."

Alice beamed at him. She bounced to the couch, pulling Jasper behind her. "The walls can wait. We should do story time."

"I like that idea, Alice," I agreed. "What do you think, Carlisle?"

"It's up to you, darling," he replied sincerely. I snuggled against him as Bella began to speak.


	5. Story Time

_**Story Time**_

 **Esme's POV**

 _Oh, My, My, My (Mary's Song)_

"Edward and I were born in Chicago. He was born May 6, 1901. I was born June 13th of the same year. Our mothers were best friends," she began. I could see them both fading into the past.

"When we were five, I chased Bella around the back yard while our parents visited with each other. I was faster, but Bella was a good climber. She sought shelter in the trees. It's hard to chase someone crazy enough to walk out on the limb of one tree until they can reach the limb of another," Edward said. "Mrs. Swan almost had a heart attack. Bella climbed down like a good girl, but then she started chasing me."

"We started walking to school together around to age of ten. Edward carried my books like a perfect little gentlemen. After a couple of years, people began to tease him about it. Edward isn't the type of person that handles that well, even now, but years of living with Emmett has given him some control. Back then, he got into fights constantly," Bella was looking into Edward's eyes as she spoke.

"I wasn't the only one getting into fights either. When we were fifteen, we just decided that we were boyfriend and girlfriend. Right around that time, a girl named Elizabeth Parsons took an interest in me. She would try to talk me into carrying her books and walking her home. She just didn't understand that I only had eyes for Bella. On my sixteenth birthday, Elizabeth brought me a present. It was a handkerchief that she had embroidered," Edward paused. Bella had a small scowl on her face. He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead before continuing. "Bella was red with anger when I accepted the gift. We were standing on a small bridge at the time, and she pushed Elizabeth in the water."

I looked at Bella with shock. "You pushed someone off a bridge?"

"The water was only knee-deep," she assured me. "Besides, she was trying to kiss Edward. She's lucky I didn't drown her in it."

"As opposed to what happened to her a few years afterward?" Rosalie said from the doorway. She and Emmett were back from their hunting trip. Bella looked at the floor.

"That was an accident," she said quietly. "Anyway, to get my point across, I kissed Edward right in front of her. She started crying, but I didn't care. I cared when I got home, though. My father was waiting with a switch. The year went on without anymore trouble from me. It was rather boring until Christmas time."

"After Thanksgiving, I had asked Bella's father for her hand in marriage. We were very young, but I knew I would never love anyone the way I loved her. My mother had given me her old engagement ring. It was a family heirloom that passed from mother to son. On Christmas Eve, I got down on one knee and asked for forever," Edward's voice rang with love and joy.

"I said 'yes', of course. We set our wedding date for July 17th. As the time passed, people began to get sick. The Spanish Influenza was taking lives. A week before the wedding, my parents got sick. The next day, my father was in the hospital along with both of Edward's parents. Everyone urged us to go ahead with the wedding. Even in the middle of all the chaos, our small ceremony was the happiest day of my life. Edward's parents passed away the next day. Two days later my father succumbed to the illness as well. It was a week full of death. My mother refused to go to the hospital. She couldn't be in the same place that her husband had died. Edward and I took care of her, but when I got sick he took us both the hospital. Carlisle was in charge of my mother and me. She wasn't even coherent anymore and died within hours. I cried until my eyes were swollen shut."

"I refused to leave Bella's side," Edward added. I wasn't surprised. "I looked Carlisle straight in the eyes and told him, 'do not let her die'."

"I promised to do everything in my power to save her," Carlisle continued. "In the end, I kept my promise. Bella and Edward were both hours from death when I revealed to them what I was. I asked them if they wanted immortality. Edward just looked at me, and said the same thing he had been telling me for almost a week. 'Do not let her die'. I nodded. I took Bella to the morgue first, and then Edward. It was almost nighttime. My shift was over. I came back an hour later and stole their bodies from the morgue. They were just barely alive. I was almost too late."

"Bella has a miraculous amount of self-control as a vampire. Within a month, she could be around humans without killing them. I was not that strong, but Bella used her shield to distract me. She found that she could remove it from her mind. Her thoughts put me at ease," Edward admitted. "To this day, she keeps me sane on the craziest of days. I do my best to return the favor."

"That's sweet," I said. My mind reviewed the story quickly to store it away in my memory. "What happened to the girl that was trying to kiss Edward?"

Bella's face fell. "It was an accident. My control may be strong, but in my first week it wasn't. I saw her in the woods on the outskirts of town. She recognized me. Everyone else thought that I was dead, and her scent was very strong. I attacked. Before I was finished, Edward found me. I turned to defend myself, at first, but when I realized it was him I ran away. I was so ashamed of myself. I thought she was dead. Later that night, Carlisle went back to deal with the body. He found her writhing in pain. Carlisle brought her to the house. He explained what was happening to her. When the transformation was over, Carlisle gave her the option of staying with us or going on her own. She left."

"Do you know where she is now?" I asked with interest. Bella nodded.

"She's a member of the Volturi Guard, and she still hates me," she answered quietly. Alice clapped her hands together.

"Enough of this depressing talk," she insisted. "This is story time. We need happily ever after not doom and gloom. You heard about Emmett and Rosalie yesterday. It's my turn. Jazz, will you bring me my photo album with the sketches in it. Not the one I've been working in, the really old one."

"Of course," he replied. I thought I sensed some relief in his tone. Edward glanced at me for a fraction of a second and it clicked. Jasper took his time before flitting back into the room with an extremely old photo album. I smiled at him.

"We can sit on the porch if that would help," I suggested. He smiled, but shook his head.

"I'm in control. Besides, the wind is swirling out there. It has the potential to turn a tolerable situation into a nightmare," Jasper said quietly.

"If you're worried, I can take you home, Esme," Carlisle assured me. I could hear the reluctance and pain in his voice. He was waiting for me to run away screaming. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not worried. I just don't like making anyone uncomfortable, and I understand that it can be hard to stay near me for extended periods of time," I kissed his cheek. Carlisle had been ignoring the scent of human blood for centuries. He had only slipped one time in over three hundred years. Two nights ago, he took the life of a demon that plagued my nightmares. Even so, I felt safe in his arms.

"No one is going to hurt her," Alice said bluntly. "I've seen so many futures involving Esme, and they all end the same way. She's just subconsciously trying to mother us. I think it's adorable. Now, I am going to tell a story of patience and love."

"Make it the short and edited version," Emmett said impatiently. "I want to try out this wall removal idea." Alice stuck her tongue out at him.

 _I Knew I Loved You_

"My story isn't as sweet as Edward and Bella's. I woke up alone with no memory save that of my name. It took me a long time to figure out what I was. The first thing I remember from the beginning of my new life is also my first vision. When I woke up, I saw Jasper's face in my mind. I thought it was a dream, but it soon became clear that I couldn't sleep. I wondered and waited for thirty years before I saw that face in person," she began. Jasper pulled her onto his lap.

"I was a soldier in the Civil War when I was transformed. My vampire life started, but my soldier life didn't end. I became a warrior in the Southern Coven Wars. Eventually, I left the 'army' I was in. My creator was not pleased," Jasper continued for Alice. I had a feeling he was leaving a lot out. "Years later, I was walking through Philadelphia on a rainy day. My lack of an umbrella was making me conspicuous so I ducked into a diner."

"The bell on the door would have made my heart stop if it had been beating," Alice and Jasper were looking into each other's eyes intently. "I couldn't help myself. I hopped off of my seat, and walked straight up to him."

"I had been around so much death for many years. I didn't understand the emotions pouring off of her. There was happiness and excitement. It flooded my senses, and when she held out her hand I didn't stop to weigh the consequences."

"'You kept me waiting a long time,'," Alice held out her hand.

"'I'm sorry, ma'am,'," Jasper said dipping his head but taking her hand anyway. "We walked out of the diner together. I couldn't make sense of what was going on, but I didn't stop to ask why either."

"In my visions, I had seen a family that drank the blood of animals instead of humans. I've always known that I would have a family. My visions kept me sane. I followed the example of this vampire family. When Jasper and I found each other, we set out to find them. Carlisle welcomed us with open arms. We've been part of the family ever since. I'll give you the full version some other time. Emmett is about to start knocking down walls without proper direction," she finished hurriedly. An old song immediately played in my mind.

"Alice sings that song every now and then," Edward commented. Upon hearing her name, Alice turned to look at him with a puzzled expression. "'I Knew I Loved You' by Savage Garden."

She nodded in understanding. Emmett groaned impatiently. I looked around, sizing up the walls. Carlisle handed me a roll of paper. "These are the blueprints," he said. I hadn't even noticed him leave to get them. I hoped I wouldn't always be so unobservant. The stories had gotten me thinking. I caught Edward watching at me with an unfathomable expression. He gave Carlisle an 'I told you so' look. Carlisle took a deep breath and smiled briefly. I turned my gaze back to the walls. We would discuss this later.


	6. Monster

_**Monster**_

 **Carlisle's POV**

With the renovations finished, and the sun hiding behind the clouds, I had no excuse to stay home from work – at least, not one I could use publically. I had been avoiding the hospital as much as possible since the night I had killed Dale. The scent of human blood had taken a backseat to my other desires for the last century and a half at least. I wasn't ready to test myself yet, but the hospital had other plans. I had a triple-bypass surgery scheduled with a heart transplant following closely after. The triple-bypass went by with no trouble. The heart transplant, however, did not go well.

The smell of blood infiltrated my mind. I tried to hold my breath, which hadn't been necessary many years.

"Dr. Isaacs, could you take over for me here?" I asked, struggling to maintain my composure. "I'm not feeling well." Dr. Isaacs took hold of the clamp I was positioning and nodded. I removed my gloves quickly and left the room. I ran at human speed outside, breathing the fresh air in deeply. The outdoor scent became tainted as an ambulance sped toward the Ambulance Bay. I ran full speed to my car. No one was around to see me, anyway. Once in the car, I closed my eyes and took slow, deep breaths. Behind my eyelids, I saw Dale goading me. I remembered how the world had turned red like blood. I started the car and drove aimlessly until I came to Forks High School. I parked my car next to Esme's. My feet led me to her classroom. Inside, I heard Rosalie speak.

"Miss Allen," she said simply. "There's someone at the door for you."

Esme's eyes met mine through the door's window. "Thank you, Rosalie," she said, walking to the door. "Read pages 23-26. I'll be back in a little bit." She stepped out into the hall and closed the door quietly behind her. "I thought you had a double-shift today. Is everything okay?" I took Esme's hand.

"I performed a triple-bypass surgery and then half of a heart transplant," I whispered. "The blood got to me in a way I haven't experienced in more than 150 years. I could barely think around it." I lowered my head in shame, admitting my weakness. "Almost every time I close my eyes, I see his body, broken on the ground. I taste his blood. When I try to think of you instead, I see the bruises on your face and arms. And then, I want to kill him all over again. I feel the monster roaring inside me."

Esme's cupped my cheek with her free hand, looking me directly in the eyes. "You are not a monster," she insisted. "This class is almost over, and then it'll be lunchtime. Would you mind sitting in on the last twenty minutes? Emmett and Rosalie are supposed to give a presentation over the house. I haven't even seen their model yet." I bit my lower lip lightly, unsure about her offer. "It might help you relax, and then we'll have a whole hour to ourselves." I looked into her eyes, conceding instantly. I took a seat at the back of the classroom.

"Emmett and Rosalie will be giving a joint presentation because they live in the same home," Esme explained to the class. A female student raised her hand. "Emily?"

"Who's your visitor, Miss Allen?" she asked boldly. I smiled while Esme's cheeks turned pink.

"Class, this is Dr. Carlisle Cullen," Esme replied. A few of the girls giggled. Rose rolled her eyes at Emmett whose frame was shaking with silent laughter.

"Is he your boyfriend?" a boy asked. Her light pink blush turned crimson. Rose huffed a sigh, sneaking a wink to me.

"You said she wasn't looking?" she whispered loud enough for the whole class to hear. Emmett caught onto the ruse.

"She wasn't. You're the one who backed me into the wall and knocked the screwdriver out of my hand. I bet she heard it fall and turned around," he muttered back. The whole class burst out in quiet laughter.

"We'll discuss this at home you two," I said severely. "I'm sorry, Miss Allen. Just ignore me for now." The class seemed satisfied. I passed Rosalie's wink onto Esme. She nodded slightly.

"Emmett and Rosalie, your presentation please," she said calmly. Rose and Emmett each carried a model to the front of the classroom that was covered with a piece of cloth. The sat the models on the workbench in the front of the classroom and removed the fabric.

"On the outside, these two houses look almost exactly the same. When my family and I first moved to Forks, our home looked like this," she gestured the first model before opening it up like a doll house. "The first floor consists of the kitchen, dining room, living room, and game room. Upstairs, you find the bedrooms and Carlisle's study. The house was carefully constructed more than fifty years ago. My sister, Alice, and I did the interior decorating when we moved into the house two years ago."

"This past week we've done some renovating," Emmett said, taking over the presentation. "The first change you notice is on the outside. We replaced a few walls with windows," he opened the second model, "and expanded the living room by taking out the walls separating the living room and game room. Where the game room was, we created a makeshift stage for the piano. We finished the renovations yesterday."

"Why did you decide to renovate?" a student asked them.

"Our family has entered into a new situation, and it's a good one," Rosalie answered. "The renovations seemed to fit the changing times." Emmett grinned mischievously.

"In other words, Carlisle let his new girlfriend have her way with the house, but it's okay. We like it, and she's actually pretty cool as far as teachers go," he said casually. Esme turned bright red once more.

"Have a seat, Mr. Cullen," she ordered, dangerously calm, giving him the you-are-in-big-trouble look. The class's attention was back to me.

"So Miss Allen is your girlfriend!" said the same boy who had asked if I was Esme's boyfriend earlier. I nodded, smiling apologetically at her. Luckily for us both, the bell rang for class to end. I walked to the front of the classroom. Emmett and Rosalie lingered.

"We're not actually in trouble are we?" Emmett asked seriously.

"Did Rosalie actually back you up against a wall?" Esme asked.

"Of course not," he said immediately. Under his breath, he added, "Not today anyway." Esme didn't hear this last part.

"I just needed to talk to Esme. Edward and Alice probably know I'm here. Tell them not to worry," I said. They nodded, walking out the door. "Thank you for asking me to stay."

"Do you feel any better?" she asked, sounding worried.

"A little bit," I replied. "The images are still flashing through my head. I want to be strong for my family, but weakness is all I can find."

"Carlisle, you are a lot of things, but 'weak' is not one of them, and neither is 'monster' for that matter. You are a good man. You save lives almost every day," she soothed.

"But I took a life," I argued. My guilt fought against her comfort. "I took a life in cold blood."

"We all have moments in our past we wish we could undo, but the world doesn't work that way. If I could go back in time, I would change a lot of things. Nevertheless, dwelling on the past won't change it," as she spoke I could hear the echo of another's voice. She had been told those same words at some point in her life. I looked into her eyes and found them guarded.

"Esme–" I began, but she interrupted me.

"I love you for who you are, and if I were to think obsessively over the things you've done I know exactly what I would dwell on. I would remember how you abstained from human blood even at the beginning of your vampire life. You found a new way to live, and then proceeded to study medicine and perfect your self-control enough to where the scent of human blood doesn't even faze you. I would think of all the lives you have saved," Esme wrapped her arms around me. The door eased open, revealing my family.

"Carlisle, I understand your guilt. You aren't used to making mistakes, but no one expects you to be perfect," Jasper said quietly. I lowered my eyes to the floor. Jasper was constantly berating himself for his weakness, and now I was making him feel mine.

"In Rochester, you weren't happy about my mission for revenge, but you felt I was owed my justice," Rosalie reminded me. Emmett put his arms around her.

"If those men had been alive when Rose found me, and you transformed me, I would have hunted them, and then they would have been begging for death by the time I was done," he swore. "When Rose told me about that bit of her past, I was so angry I reduced an old oak tree to splinters and dust. Any one of us would have done the same thing if we were put in your situation. So, don't beat yourself up about it. You'll always be the one we look to for strength and guidance."

Their words of reassurance could not ease the pain of failure. I had failed my love, my family, and myself. I began to reflect on the number of lives I hadn't been able to save at the hospital.

"Don't do this to yourself, Carlisle!" Edward begged. "You can't start blaming yourself for every lost patient, too."

"514," I argued. "In all my years as a doctor, I have lost 514 patients. Patients I could have saved the way I saved you and Bella."

"If you saved every doomed patient, the world would soon become overpopulated with vampires," Bella reasoned.

"Not everyone is cut out for vampire life, either," Rose added. I looked at her. Rosalie had been one of those people until she found Emmett. Even now, she wished to be human.

"Vampire or not, you're just one man," Esme stared into my eyes. In my peripheral vision, I noticed my children leaving the classroom. Esme stretched up just a little bit, kissing me softly. I wrapped one arm around her waist while the opposite hand wound itself into her hair. My breath quickened as it always did when Esme's lips touched mine. A pleasant aroma filled my every sense. I could feel her pulse against my arm.

"Rose forgot her books," Alice said, bursting into the room. Her presence interrupted my train of thought. Esme pulled away, looking embarrassed. Alice threw me a sympathetic glance and a wave of disgust swept over me. She wouldn't have come back unless I was going to lose control. I stepped away from Esme, staggering back to the wall. Her body shifted as if she was going to move toward me, but I held up a hand.

"I don't want to hurt you," I told her. She stepped forward anyway.

"I trust you," she assured me. I pleaded with my eyes for her to stay back, nevertheless she continued toward me. "Your strength is hidden beneath the shards of your self-confidence. I will pull those shards away, one-by-one, until I have them all put back together."

Esme pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "Angel, I'm going to need you after all," she said when a woman answered after two rings. "I really appreciate you covering for me."

"No problem, Esme," said the voice on the other end. "Enjoy your afternoon."

"You too," Esme replied. She hung up, looking expectantly at me. "Alice warned me to have a substitute on call just in case. Let's go home."

She held out her hand for me to take. Hesitantly, I intertwined my fingers with hers. The walk to the car was a silent one. Once again, I was all too aware of Esme's warm pulse and delectable scent. How had I not noticed it before? I shuddered, realizing where my mind was taking me. This was Esme– my darling Esme. I could never hurt her. What was I becoming?


	7. Never Surrender

_**Never Surrender**_

 **Esme's POV**

As we drove home, I contemplated the things I had to say. Carlisle knew I didn't blame him for taking Dale's life; nevertheless, he blamed himself. I had to help him, but it was going to hurt us both. My phone vibrated.

" **BE CAREFUL!"** Alice texted me. My mind was made up. I just hoped Carlisle would forgive me. Before I knew it, he opened my door– the perfect gentleman as always. I stepped out of the car with nothing but a murmured "Thank you". We walked side by side as far as the living room. Then, I stepped in front of Carlisle, my hands in my pockets.

"When you tape a few pieces of a paper back together, it is still torn. You have to recycle it to get a fresh page with no tears. Sometimes, in life, we have to start over from scratch to rebuild ourselves," I said, staring into his eyes. I pulled my hands out of my pockets, and brought them behind my back, all the while holding his gaze. It had been a long time since I had caused myself to feel the sting of a good, sharp blade. I made a long, diagonal slash over the top of my forearm.

Carlisle's face contorted in shock and pain. Slowly, I brought my arms out in front of me. His eyes went to the wound immediately. He moved to take hold of my arm, and I backed away. I watched the pain take over his expression.

"Why?" he asked weakly. I said nothing. He stepped forward again. This time, I didn't move. "You've done this before, haven't you?"

I nodded slowly, deciding it was time to tell a little more of my past. "Proving to you how strong you are is more important than keeping up my clean record. I started cutting at the age of sixteen, after my sister died. I didn't quit until Dale and I got married. This is the first time in four years," I said softly watching the pain burn through his eyes. It tore at my soul to see him in pain and know it was my fault. I felt a rush of wind as I lowered my eyes to the floor. Tears stung at my eyes. He had run away from me. Before my mind could decide what to do, he was back with alcohol swabs, gauze, bandage tape, and Neosporin.

"I would appreciate it if you would never do this again," he said, gesturing to my cut and struggling to keep his voice at a monotone. "I saw you injured once, and I will never get the image of your bruised body out of my mind. You are the sun in my sky, Esme. Your pain is like storm clouds. Seeing what that man did to you was like being struck by lightning. This is even worse."

"I won't do it again because I don't need to," I replied. Carlisle began cleaning the wound. Beneath the thin mask of horror, I saw a glimmer of peace in his expression. "When you go to the hospital, you're helping people. You're saving lives. I can see it in your eyes, even now. Some part of your mind is relaxing in there."

 **Carlisle's POV**

I looked into her eyes, then. They stared defiantly into mine. When I had heard the blade tearing her flesh, I had wondered what she was thinking– why she would do such a thing. Now, I understood. She knew me better than I thought. Nevertheless, I was angry at her. I had thought that was impossible.

"I would be more relaxed if you were in my arms rather than bleeding from one of yours," I said brusquely. I quickly taped the gauze over her long gash. She flinched at the anger beneath my voice. At the same time, her good arm twitched upward. I let go of her arm and stepped back. My fury fled upon seeing the terror in her eyes. Some sane part of me knew her reaction was a force of habit; nevertheless, I was once again disgusted. Seven seconds had gone by.

"I'm sorry," Esme whispered. I shook my head.

"No, I shouldn't be angry," I said.

"You can be as angry with me as you like. We all get angry, sometimes," she assured me. "I quit cutting when Dale and I got married because he caught me doing it on the anniversary of my sister's death. When he saw what I was doing, he got angry." Esme pulled her shirt off. There were scars all along her stomach. She turned away from me. The scars continued onto her back. "We had a four-poster bed. He tied me to the posts at the foot of the bed after beating me until I could barely move. He said, 'Well, well, my little bitch is a masochist after all,'. He ripped my shirt off and cut me with his pocket knife." Esme pulled her shirt back on and walked to the kitchen. I could barely think around the things she had just told me. I could not fathom how anyone could be so cruel, so inhumane, so sadistic.

"The kids are here," she murmured. Behind me the front door opened. A swirl of rage entered the house. I turned to them, unable to summon the kind of rage rolling through them all. My anger had already hurt Esme once.

"We heard the last part," Edward explained through clenched teeth. I looked beyond my first son, into Jasper's eyes. Golden balls of fury promised murder for someone who was already dead.

"He is already gone," I reasoned to them all. "There is nothing more you can do to hurt him. It's best to keep our tempers in check. No one will ever hurt Esme again."

"How can you ask us to stay calm?" Emmett demanded. "How can you stay calm knowing what that sick bastard did to Esme?" I stared directly into his eyes. Whatever he saw there caused him to falter, even though I said nothing. I walked out the door, breaking into a sprint as soon as I made it off the porch. The whole world was a deep, rich red. I ran deep into the forest until I reached the small, dilapidated cottage my family and I had found soon after moving to Forks. It was nestled beautifully into a small meadow.

I stared at the cottage, feeling every compressed emotion from the last few weeks rise to the surface. My body crumpled to the ground while a piercing cry filled the sky. I had never heard such agony. It took a minute to realize the sound was coming from me.

 **Esme's POV**

My head jerked upward when the scream reached my ears. I turned to head for the door, but Edward was standing in front me, blocking my path.

"Alice was wondering if you would like to watch a movie," he said, a little too calm. "She, Jasper, Bella, and I are going hunting in a few hours."

"I think I'll take a walk instead," I decided. Edward frowned.

"You won't find him unless you plan on swimming." His eyes dropped to the floor. "We all heard the last part of your conversation. Alice saw it in a vision. I saw it through Carlisle's thoughts. Everyone needs time to let the pent up emotion out of their system. Imagine you were the vampire, and Carlisle told you his ex-wife had beat and cut him. What would you do?"

"Destroy something," I whispered. "Let me know when he gets back, please." Edward nodded.

"By the way, you can play anytime you want," he added. I smiled, glancing at the piano. I walked over to it and sat down. If I listened closely, I could still hear Carlisle's "venting". I didn't need to hear it, though. I could feel his pain, even through the distance. Or maybe this pain was my own, and it mirrored his. Nonetheless, I held it all in. My turn to lose control would come someday. A thought occurred to me when my fingers touched to piano keys. I narrowed my eyes at Jasper. He smiled impishly.

"I wondered if you would notice," he smiled, not withdrawing his influence. I shook my head and began to play. It was annoying not to be able to feel what my mind was telling me to feel, or it would have been if Jasper weren't keeping me in a state of contentment. So, I played and waited.

 **Carlisle's POV**

I picked myself up off the forest floor after what felt like hours. I had to go home. The trees all began to look the same as they flew by me– or rather, as I flew by them. I hardly noticed. Having Esme in my arms again was all that mattered. She was sitting at Edward's piano, playing softly, when I came through the door. Within a fraction of a second, my wish was fulfilled. I wrapped my arms around Esme. She stopped playing and met my gaze. A small laugh escaped her as she picked a single leaf out of my hair. I kissed her smiling lips earnestly. A new strength had grown within me. Esme's love was the perfect cure for my insecurity, and I never wanted that love to end.


	8. Face Down But Not for Long

_**Face Down... But Not for Long**_

 **Esme's POV**

I was running through the burning house listening to the maniac laugh. The windows and doors were blocked with burning furniture. Tears evaporated before they could fall. In my heart, I knew I was going to die. Sirens blared in the distance. Help was on the way, but could they get to me in time? Thick smoke swirled through the air with no way to escape the building. I yelled, but it was weak. There was no oxygen left. I collapsed. He just kept laughing.

I woke up screaming, again. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the night I was nearly burnt alive. I relived every beating. I remembered the times I tried to fight back. Blinded by the darkness, I lashed out. I was trapped in the Hell he had created for me, and his laughing face filled my mind. Cold arms wrapped around me, and I continued to struggle. My fist connected with a very solid chest. The pain exploding in my knuckles brought more tears to my eyes.

"It's okay, Esme. You are awake, and you are safe," a soft voice whispered quietly. "I'm here. I'll always be here." One arm held me closer while the other reached into the darkness. The bedside lamp was bright. I blinked a few times, then looked up. Carlisle sighed with relief and kissed my forehead. He wiped away my tears.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. He shook his head.

"You were having a nightmare. Does your hand hurt?" he asked. I nodded. "You may have broken it. You put a lot of force behind that punch."

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "I wish I could get a handle on these dreams. Sometimes, I envy the chronic insomniacs I live with."

Carlisle chuckled. "Chronic insomniacs," he mused with a calculating expression. "My shift starts at nine. Would you like to come with me so I can X-ray your hand?"

"What is today?" I asked suddenly.

"December 31st," he replied promptly. "It is New Year's Eve."

"I need to go shopping later. Today is my nephew's birthday, and I still haven't gotten him a present," I said. A small knock echoed through the room followed by Alice's voice.

"Did I hear the word 'shopping'?" she asked excitedly. I shook my head and laughed.

"Yes, but I'm pretty sure that Jacob doesn't want clothes or shoes, Alice. To be honest, I don't know what to get a sixteen year old boy," I mused. "He's rebuilding a car. I talked to him last week, and he said something about needing a master cylinder. I have no idea what that is."

"I can help you find one," Rosalie's voice floated into the room. "What kind of car is it?"

I racked my brain for an answer. What had he called that thing? "Umm... oh, yeah, it's a Volkswagen Rabbit," I recalled. She murmured something that I couldn't hear. Carlisle sighed. I glanced at the clock it was almost six in the morning.

"After we X-ray your hand, use my car for the day. I'm going to be home late anyway. I have some shopping of my own to do, and Alice will insist on joining me. Apparently, someone forgot to mention that their birthday is next week," he looked at me with mock accusation. I narrowed my eyes.

"Who told you?" I demanded. He smiled and shook his head. I wanted my birthday to pass without recognition. There were too many bad memories tied to it. I shuddered as the fire flashed in front of my eyes.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Carlisle asked softly. I tried to erase my frown, but it wouldn't budge.

"I just don't like my birthday. It's a reminder of how old I'm getting," I murmured. I couldn't tell he wasn't going to believe that was it.

"You're a terrible liar, Esme. Do you want to talk about it?" he pressed. I looked him in the eyes. They were the color of dark honey and burning with concern. I knew he was trying to understand my dreams. Bella always protected my mind while I slept so he couldn't ask Edward what they were about. He blinked once, and I broke down.

"That's not fair," I whispered. "You shouldn't do that to people." I took a deep breath to steady myself. "I had left Dale a few months before my twenty-fifth birthday. His lawyer pleaded insanity and won. They sent him to a psychiatric hospital. The day before my birthday, he escaped. The next morning, I woke up to the smell of smoke. He had gotten into the house with a hidden key. I usually slept with music playing back then. I didn't even hear him. He piled furniture in front of the doors and windows. I don't know how he managed to get out. There was a fire going in front of every potential exit."

Tears slid down my face as I remembered the part that haunted my nightmares. Carlisle wiped them away. He was listening intently with a look of revulsion on his face. I didn't know whether or not it was from the thought of this happening or the memory of killing him.

"I ran, looking for a way out, until the smoke made me collapse. The last thing I remember from that day is the sound of sirens and his insane laughter," I finished quietly. The whole house was silent. They were listening. Carlisle pulled me onto his lap and held me tightly. He kissed my forehead, my cheeks, my eyes, my nose, and finally my lips.

"I will erase everything he did to you," Carlisle swore. I rested my head on his chest. Sobs racked my body as he rocked me back and forth. I felt like I had been broken. Damaged. Now, the broken pieces were fusing back together and there were no scars.

"You already have," I whispered. With that, I let it all go. The past. The pain. I only had the future to look to. My only past was the past three months. My time with Carlisle was the only past that could shape my future. Everything else was just a bad dream. I was awake now. I wiped away the last of my tears and swore to myself that they would be the last I cried for that bastard.

It was nearly six o'clock when I pulled myself away from Carlisle. He sighed.

"I'll fix breakfast for you. What would you like?" he asked. I smiled.

"Eggs and toast?" my words sounded like a question.

"They'll be waiting when you get out of the shower," he assured me. I gave him a quick kiss before walking to the closet. Alice had gone on a shopping spree when I moved in. I had protested, but to no avail. Thus, my side of the closet was full of clothes; most of which I had never even seen before. I laid my outfit for the day on the bed. The monotony of my morning routine was relaxing. I even allowed Alice to fix my hair.

Before we got into his car, Carlisle wrapped my hand in an ace bandage. It was swelling. As it turned out, I had a small break in two of my knuckles. I could get away with wearing a brace as long as I promised to leave it on.

"I would advise that you avoid writing more than necessary. When school starts again, you could ask a student to be your scribe if anything needs to be written on the board," he suggested after studying the x-ray. I sighed.

"I'm ambidextrous," I said, trying not to brag. Not many humans were ambidextrous.

"That wouldn't have anything to do with the previous breaks in your wrist, would it?" he asked. I bit my lip. I had taught myself to write left-handed in high school, but I hadn't perfected it until my early twenties.

"The first time I broke my wrist happened when I was sixteen. I was in a car accident," I said defensively. More pain broke through at that memory. Concern flashed across his face again. "I wasn't the one driving. Besides, that was almost eleven years ago, and the ground was icy. Your Mercedes will be fine."

"It's not the Mercedes I'm worried about, Esme," he said with exasperation. "Cars can be repaired or replaced."

"I won't speed," I promised.

"I'll walk you to the car," he said, taking my good hand. I laced my fingers with his. The walk was short and silent. When we arrived at the car, he gently lifted my broken hand and kissed the back of it. "Drive safely."

"I will." I wrapped my arms around him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Carlisle replied. He kissed me softly for a few seconds before unlocking the car and opening my door. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I replied. My heart lifted every time I heard those words. I climbed into the driver's seat. Carlisle squeezed my hand lightly, then let go and shut the door. As I drove away, I couldn't help but smile. I had risen from the ground, and I would never fall again.


	9. Birthday Party

_**Birthday Party**_

 **Esme's POV**

People stared as I drove to my brother-in-law's house. No doubt a few of them wondered what a vehicle like this was doing here. One expression stood out the most, though. As I drove past a mail box with the name Uley on it, I received a look of pure hatred that made me cringe inside. Jacob was outside when I parked along the side of the road. His eyes widened to the size of silver dollars.

"Please, tell me the car is mine," he begged as I stepped out of the driver's seat. I laughed.

"Well, then, how would I get home?" I asked rhetorically.

"I would drive you home," he promised. I shook my head.

"It's not my car," I admitted. "But your present is in the trunk."

Jake pretended to be disappointed. He pulled me into one of his trademark bear hugs. Billy, Jacob's father, wheeled himself to the door.

"Let the poor woman come inside at least. It's cold out here," he said. Jake let go of me and reached for his perfectly wrapped present. Rosalie had very meticulously wrapped it after seeing my horrible attempt.

"Don't shake it," I warned. "I have no idea how breakable it is, and if you broke it you would cry."

"Okay," he agreed. Curiosity burned beneath his eyes as we walked into the house. "By the way, whose car did you borrow?"

"It belongs to my boyfriend," I said. At my age the word boyfriend sounded silly, but he didn't laugh. Billy's gaze was serious as it landed on me.

"Boyfriend?" he asked. "Anyone I might know?"

I shrugged. "His name is Carlisle Cullen. He's a doctor." A fleeting expression lit his face. It looked like anger and fear. Jake laughed at his father's reaction.

"Come on, Dad," he said. "It's just a legend. Aunt Esme, how long have you been dating this guy?"

"A little over three months," I replied promptly. "What's 'just a legend'?"

"Cold ones," Jake said in a jokingly ominous tone. Billy shot him a warning look, but he ignored it. "You would call them vampires."

I froze with fear. How did they know what the Cullens were? I took a deep breath. Fortunately, it sounded like an amused sigh.

"Jacob, those words are dangerous," Billy insisted. "You would do well to obey the treaty."

"What treaty? Billy, if my boyfriend was a vampire, I would know," I protested with a laugh. "He takes me to lunch almost every day. Keyword being 'day'. He hasn't burst into flames on the way to the restaurant. In his house, he has an office with a cross hanging by the door, and there are no coffins anywhere. The Cullens are just a close family that keep to themselves."

I felt silly bringing up normal vampire lore, but it was the easiest way to dissuade Billy without lying to him. As Carlisle had pointed out this morning, I was a horrible liar. Thankfully, he let it go.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked suddenly. I glanced at it.

"I had a pretty violent nightmare and punched the headboard. Carlisle fixed it up for me, and let me borrow his car for the day," I answered lightly. Jake smiled mischievously at his father.

"I suppose that makes sense," he said. "After all, he could just run home and be there in five minutes right?" Billy glared. It was easy to see that he wasn't just suspicious. He knew what the Cullens were. But how did he know? That was the big question. I laughed.

"No, he's going shopping with his daughter, Alice, when his shift ends," I said. Jake looked shocked.

"Why?" he asked incredulously. Jake cringed at the thought of shopping.

"I was trying to keep my birthday a secret, but Edward told on me- the little traitor," I said affectionately. Carlisle's "children" were all older than me, but I couldn't help mothering them a little bit, and none of them seemed to mind. I loved them all like they were my very own.

"I'll bet you get good presents this year," Jake said wistfully. His gaze was focused on the Mercedes visible from the kitchen window. I rolled my eyes and slapped him lightly on the arm.

"Alice knows not to overdo it," I said defensively, but it was a weak defense. Alice not overdoing it on a shopping trip was impossible, but she had six other people to unleash her shop-aholic tendencies on. "Jasper is trying to reign her in a bit, but I doubt it will work. Carlisle knows what I like. Edward and Bella are good with moderation. Emmett and Rosalie are talking about doing something with my car. The presents don't matter, though. I'll make sure Alice puts you two on the invitation list."

"Invitation list?" Billy asked innocently. He was trying to get information out of me.

"Alice is insisting on throwing a party. You should meet Carlisle," I replied. "He really is a wonderful man. His children treat me like a part of the family. They really are good kids. The six of them will be in my Home Design class next semester."

"So, if the you marry this guy, you'll be a mom?" Jake asked. I blushed. I knew what Alice had seen in my future. I had overheard her telling Jasper that I was going to let her plan the wedding if the future went that way. She was 97% sure that Carlisle and I would get married; which meant I would become a vampire.

"I suppose so," I mused. "We haven't been together very long, though. It's a bit early for marriage talk."

"I'm just anxious for some cousins," he said. I stopped at that. It had never occurred to me how alone Jake was in his family. Rebecca was married and living in Hawaii. Rachel was off at college.

"I think you'd like Emmett," I admitted. I grabbed my wallet out of my purse. I had a few pictures in it. Emmett and Jasper were wrestling when Alice had snapped a picture. Jasper had Emmett in a headlock. I showed it to Jake. "Emmett is the one in the headlock, and the other is Jasper."

"He does not look happy," Jake observed. Emmett had been growling furiously. I grinned at the memory.

"He's hates losing. But enough about my life," I insisted. "Today is your day. Open your present."

He tore the package open without any delay. He lifted the gadget out of it's box and his jaw dropped. He sat it down carefully and pulled me into another suffocating hug.

"A master cylinder!" he gasped. "You found one!"

"I remembered you saying you needed one for your car."

"Thanks, Aunt Esme," he said. There was a knock on the door, then it opened.

"Hey, Jake!" The boy was trembling from head to toe- from the cold I guessed.

"Embry!" Jake yelled enthusiastically. Another boy walked in the door. "Quil!"

"Happy Birthday, loser," the boy named Quil joked. Jake hit him upside the head. "Hey, who does the sweet car belong to?"

"My aunt's boyfriend," Jake replied. His tone held a little sadness. "Aunt Esme this is Quil Ateara and Embry Call. Quil, Embry, this is my aunt, Esme Allen."

"Hey, Miss Allen," Quil said in a low voice. "Do you think your boyfriend would mind if I stole his car?"

"Oh, you don't want to do that Quil," Jake said in an exaggerated tone. "This man's bite is worse than his bark, right, Aunt Esme?" He laughed again. I was glad that Jake found this funny because I could tell that Billy was getting truly angry.

"JAKE!" he warned.

"Chill Dad, it's not like Aunt Esme is gonna go home to Dr. Cullen and say, 'Hey, my brother-in-law thinks you're a vampire,'."

"You're boyfriend is Dr. Cullen," Embry asked, speaking to me for the first time. In his voice, I heard the type of fury I had seen in a man's eyes on my way here. He was trembling again, even in the warmth of the house. My cell phone rang urgently. I answered it.

"Esme!" Alice said frantically before I could even say 'hello'. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Alice. What's wrong?" Embry's eyes narrowed.

"I was trying to see something, but I couldn't see you," she replied. "Where are you?"

"I'm at La Push." she groaned on the other end, but I continued. "At Jacob's house."

"Oh, well, the hospital sent Carlisle home because he's been working so many nights lately," she said. "I'll call you when we... never mind. Carlisle will call you when we finish shopping. Any requests for your birthday."

"Don't spend too much," I begged. "That goes for all of you, and make sure you let Jake and Billy know when the party is, seeing as you won't tell me."

"I will. You are as bad as Bella," she complained. "Carlisle said to tell you he loves you."

"Tell him I love him too," I said. The line disconnected. They were all looking at me. "Alice."

"Asking what you wanted for your birthday?" Jake guessed. I nodded.

"She's trying to tell me as little as possible about what she's planning. The only reason I know about the party is because I know Alice. She can't contain herself. You should have seen what she did to the house for Christmas."

He shuddered theatrically. I liked spending time with Jake. He had the ability to make anyone smile because his own smile was completely contagious. We talked and laughed for the next few hours, and I just enjoyed the party. Jake and Billy are both horrible in the kitchen so I ended up baking the cake, but I didn't mind. At least it was edible.


	10. Happy Birthday to Me

_**Happy Birthday to Me**_

 **Esme's POV**

So far, everything was perfect. Birthdays were something to be celebrated not dreaded so I tried to be cheerful. Alice jumped up and down excitedly.

"They're coming!" she shouted with glee. "Tanya and her family are coming to the party! Billy and Jacob are coming, too, Esme. They'll be fine. The Denalis don't hunt humans. They are like cousins to us."

I smiled. Maybe, Billy would be less suspicious of the Cullens after he met them. I hoped so anyway. Edward gave me a sad smile.

"Nothing will make Billy Black less suspicious of us. He is the descendant of Ephraim Black. Years ago, we lived near this area. We were hunting when we came across three large wolves. Their scent was human with the most repulsive smell in the world attached to it. I could hear their thoughts. Ephraim was the leader. Carlisle spoke to him, and thus a treaty was created. As long as we didn't trespass onto their lands, they wouldn't expose our existence to the humans," he explained. I thought over that.

"Well, he'll just have to live with it," I said defiantly. There was a knock at the door. I smiled as Alice opened the door. "Jake, Billy, we were just talking about you."

"Whatever she accused me of, I didn't do it," Jake said seriously. His eyes were wide like he was afraid to get caught in some sort of wrong-doing. He looked around the room like that for a few seconds before he cracked up laughing. Emmett boomed with laughter less than a second later.

"I like this one," he said to me. "It's okay. I didn't do half the things they accuse me of either, but the other half... well, what can I say? Nobody's perfect."

Jake's nose wrinkled a little bit as he stepped closer to Emmett. "Smells like someone did some extreme cleaning. This place is huge. What did you do, knock out some walls?" The questions was clearly rhetorical, but Emmett answered anyway.

"Yeah, we did, actually. It was fun," he got this gleam in his eye that worried me a little bit. "Esme designed the renovations, and Alice did the interior decorating."

"Cool!" Jake said enthusiastically. "You should've called me, Aunt Esme. I would've been glad to help."

"I know you would've, but keeping tabs on Emmett was hard enough," I shook my head.

"Okay, I guess I see your point," he allowed. "This is still a pretty amazing set up."

"Thank you," Carlisle said politely. "Why don't you go check out the garage? We're still waiting for a few other guests. Emmett, show him the new one. I'll think he'll have the proper appreciation for it."

"Jacob," Edward said in a measuring tone. "Are you a good driver?"

"I've never had a wreck but I just got my license last week," he answered. Billy looked at Edward.

"Jacob drives fairly well for a teenager," he said simply.

"Okay, catch," Edward said to Jake, throwing a set of keys. "If you don't pass out, we'll see if you're father is right."

As they walked out the door, Billy narrowed his eyes for a fraction of a second. I didn't need to be Edward to know what he was thinking. He was taking his chance while he had one.

"Esme-" he started, but I cut him off.

"Not today, Billy," I said. Carlisle came up and put his arms around me. Billy's eyes narrowed again.

"I'm sorry, Esme, but I want to reach an understanding while Jacob is preoccupied, and I'm going to trust that he is safe out there. I am a tribe elder. I know better than to believe that our history is nothing but legends. My own grandfather told me these stories. He knew first-hand that they were all true," Billy said. The anger in his voice was rising.

"Mr. Black," Carlisle said calmly. "The treaty has remained unbroken. My family and I have avoided your lands as promised."

"Yes, the treaty has remained unbroken, so far," he said coldly. "Need I remind you of the other part? If one of your family bites a human, not kills, BITES a human, the treaty is also broken."

"I remember," Carlisle replied quietly. No doubt, he was remembering that he had broken the treaty.

"That is my decision and none of your business, Billy," I said, my temper flaring. "I've made up my mind. I'm not going to grow old, wither, and die while Carlisle stays frozen in time. It isn't fair to him, and it isn't fair to me. This has nothing to do with your treaty."

"The treaty doesn't mention anything about the victim's choice," Billy retorted.

"Well, it should," I spat furiously. "This is a free country. I'm a grown woman, and I will do as I damn well please."

"Okay," Jasper said holding his hands up. "Calm down." Immediately, my anger receded. I glanced apologetically at Jasper and Alice.

"May I speak to Billy alone, please?" I begged. Carlisle looked reluctant but he put a hand on Alice and Jasper both, and led them outside.

"We won't listen," he promised, then shut the door. I wheeled Billy next to the couch and sat next to him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to Billy. "Just please, try to understand. I don't want anyone to be angry with me, but I can't live without Carlisle."

Billy took a deep breath and looked out the window. Jake was watching expectantly as one of the garage doors opened. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as one of the cars shot out of the garage. His yell of excitement was loud enough that we all heard him perfectly.

"An Aston Martin Vanquish!" He watched as Edward climbed out of the driver's seat and held out a hand invitingly. Jake climbed behind the wheel quickly as Edward got in the passenger side. Billy turned back to me.

"I just don't want you to do something that you'll regret," he reasoned. "I also don't want to have to tell my son that his aunt died. You are the only connection to his mother that he has left. Rachel and Rebecca would miss you too. You have family in the human world. Don't leave them."

"This is my life. I haven't been as happy as I am now in eleven years," I cried. "This day holds so much pain. Until I met Carlisle, not a day went by that I didn't wish I had died in that crash, too. I should have died that day. Not her. I was forced to live with what happened, and then live through what Dale did to me. In Carlisle, I see all of the reasons God allowed me to survive. We were made to love each other. We were made to be together. Just let us be happy. Let _me_ be happy."

Billy looked pointedly out the window, trying to ignore the sincerity and desperation in my voice. Jake was walking back toward the house, visibly shaking, with the others following behind him. "I don't feel so good," he said. Billy rolled over to Jake and put a hand on his arm. His eyes widened.

"I need to get him home," he said urgently. I looked at Jake. He looked a little sick. I gave him a hug.

"Oh my goodness," I said. "You're burning up, Jake. Carlisle?"

Carlisle shook his head. So did Billy. They knew what was happening. He wasn't sick. It was something else. Carlisle mouthed, _I'll explain later_. I nodded and helped Jake to the car.

"Are you sure you can drive?" I asked. He nodded.

"I just feel a little weird," he assured me. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," I said. "Get to feeling better. Bye Billy." Billy waved. I looked down at the ground as they drove away. This was my fault. Edward walked up behind me.

"It's not your fault," he said. "It couldn't be helped. He's the great-grandson of Ephraim Black. The proximity of so many vampires, and the fact that Rose told him he smelled like a wet dog is what did it. It was only a matter of time, or so Billy thinks. He'll be fine. When he gets enough control over his wolf side, maybe he can take Emmett up on that arm-wrestling challenge."

"The Denalis just pulled off of the highway," Alice said brightly. She looked at me and her face fell. "I'm sorry about Jake, Esme. Meeting him was pretty cool, though. He's funny."

"I like the kid," Emmett said bluntly. "I always wanted a puppy when I was human." I raised my hand to smack him lightly, but Carlisle caught it. He laughed.

"Remember what happened the last time you hit a vampire?" he asked sarcastically. I rolled my eyes. Emmett laughed. I gave him a warning glare and pointed at him.

"Behave yourself," I chided. He laughed and shook his head slowly.

"Yes, Mother," he said with mock exasperation. More sarcasm, lovely. I couldn't help but smile, though. Mother. I could get used to that. Edward chuckled and opened the door before the female vampire in front could even knock.

"Good afternoon, Tanya," he greeted the strawberry blonde female.

"Edward," she replied. "Where's the birthday girl?" Edward gestured to where I was sitting on the couch with Carlisle. His arms were around me. She walked over to us. I stood and shook her hand. "My name is Tanya. These are my sisters: Kate and Irina. And our latest additions: Carmen and Eleazar."

I shook hands with each of them. We exchanged the usual pleasantries: "hello", "how are you?", "It's nice to meet you".

"Presents!" Alice announced gleefully. "This one is from Jasper and I." She sat large box in front of me. I opened it up to reveal a large sketch book, special drawing pencils, and an easel. I hugged them both. Jasper seemed surprised but happy when I wrapped my arms around him.

"Thank you!"

"This is from us," Edward and Bella sat a box in front of me next. It was medium-sized. I carefully peeled off the wrapping paper. A computer program. I read the details on the box. It was a virtual building program. You could design houses and renovate them on a computer.

"We thought this would go pretty well with it," Rosalie said, handing me yet another present. I hadn't even gotten the chance to thank Edward and Bella for the program. Edward laughed.

"I heard you loud and clear," he assured me.

"Thank you," I said anyway. Bella couldn't read my thoughts after all. Edward chuckled and shook his head while I turned my attention to Emmett and Rosalie's gift. The wrapping paper fell away when I untied the ribbon. It was a laptop. I was speechless. This had been building up. Their gifts were perfect. I hugged them all one more time.

"I also gave your car a full check up, changed the oil, filled the gas tank, and put on four new tires," Rosalie added. "Good thing, too. Your oil was a little low."

The speechlessness continued still. Tanya, who had been sitting quietly like the rest of her coven, passed me two boxes.

"We weren't sure what to get because we don't know you very well, yet," she admitted. I took them, surprised that they had bought something for me at all. I opened the smaller box first; which turned out to be a digital camera. The other box contained a large photo album and the kind of computer paper that you use to print pictures.

"Thank you so much," I said earnestly.

"When we asked for suggestions, Alice told us that your camera broke," Kate supplied. "She also said that you liked taking pictures of a project so you had something to look at when you couldn't see the real thing."

Without warning, Carlisle stood up, pulling me up with him. "My gift is waiting outside," he explained. He took my hand and led me outside. None of the others followed. I looked around, wondering where it was. When we reached to river, Carlisle scooped me up into his arms like I weighed nothing. "Hold on tightly."

I locked my arms around his neck. With a running start, he jumped over the river. I hid my face in his chest so I couldn't see. We landed softly on the other side of the river. He laughed as he set me back on the ground. I breathed a sigh of relief. Carlisle wrapped his arms around me and, softly, pressed his lips to mine for a few seconds.

"We're going to run for a little bit," he said when he pulled away. "Or rather, I'm going to run. Climb onto my back and hold on."

"Run?" I asked. My voice sounded panicked. Carlisle kissed me again. That helped a little bit.

"If it helps, don't look," he suggested. "I would never let anything happen to you."

I gave him one last weary look, but climbed on his back anyway. Taking his advice, I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. My death grip didn't seem to bother him at all. It felt like we were barely moving so when Carlisle stopped he had to tap my hands. I opened my eyes and looked around. Trees surrounded us.

"It is a little further," he said. "I thought you might like to walk the rest of the way."

"Thank you," I whispered fervently. It was good to have the ground beneath my feet. I could see a small clearing getting closer as we walked in silence. It was a little meadow, and in the center was an extremely old cottage. I picked up my pace. Vines of honeysuckle and ivy ran up the chimney and across the roof.

"We came across this little cottage when we first moved to Forks," Carlisle said, wrapping his arms around me from behind. "It's been here for around one hundred years. After seeing how much fun you had with the main house, I thought you might like a project that you can go anywhere with. It's all yours."

Tears pooled in my eyes then spilled over to run down my cheeks.

"It's perfect," I said, turning to rest my head on his chest. "Thank you."

"I love you," he reminded me. I kissed the base of his neck.

"I love you, too."

"There's something else I wanted to give you," he said. "Close your eyes."

He stepped back and took my hands. I obeyed without question, closing my eyes tightly. I was tempted to peek, but I resisted. Carlisle kissed the backs of my hands, then let them go.

"Open," he said. I opened my eyes. My breath caught. Carlisle was down on one knee in front of me.

"Esme Lea Anne Allen, will you marry me?" he asked. A brilliant smile lit up his face. I stood in blissful shock, and he opened a small ring box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. Tears of joy streamed down my face as I slowly nodded.

"Yes!"

Carlisle slipped the ring onto the third finger of my left hand. Then, he stood and lifted me into his arms, kissing me passionately. We spun slowly in circles. I felt like I was flying. My heart beat swiftly. Time seemed to stand still.

The sun broke free of the clouds, shining down on us. Carlisle's face shined like that of an angel. I pressed my lips against his again. Applause filled the meadow as our family broke through the trees.

A flurry of hugs and murmured congratulations ensued. The most enthusiastic was Alice.

"Yay! So, do I get to plan the wedding?" she asked excitedly. Though, it sounded more like begging. I was so caught up in the moment it was hard to speak. "Please, please, please." I looked at Carlisle. He laughed at Alice jumping up and down like a little kid in a candy store. He shrugged and gestured to me. It was my decision.

"Of course you do, Alice," I said. She hugged me tightly until my back popped. It wasn't painful, but I laughed.

"Thank you, Mom!" she smiled at me, and I had to smile back. Mom. First, Emmett's sarcasm. Now, Alice's enthusiasm. It warmed my heart even more. We traveled back to the house on clouds of bliss, or so it seemed.

"You have three more presents waiting for you," Carlisle informed me. "They are from Billy and Jacob." The TV was on in the living room with a VCR hooked up to it. We settled onto the couch while the others went to various parts of the house. Only Alice sat with us. Carlisle gave me the remote. I took a deep breath and pressed play. A little girl in a purple dress walked up the aisle, tossing flower petals out in front of her. I paused the movie with a laugh.

"I can't believe it," I said with a hand over my heart. "You see that adorable little girl right there?" Carlisle nodded. "That's me. I was eight years old. This is my sister's wedding. Jake's mom, Vivian." I pressed play again. We watched Billy and Vivian exchange vows and say, "I do".

"Her dress is beautiful," Alice commented.

"It is," I agreed. "I was with her when she went shopping for her dress. She wasn't happy with anything she tried on, and I got bored. I was climbing through the racks when I accidentally knocked one off. She picked it up and just fell in love with it."

The screen went black for a few seconds, and then the scene changed. "Get that away from me, Esme," Vivian laughed, putting her hands up to hide her face. I heard myself giggling in the background.

"Come on, Vivie," I pouted. "I just want to try it out."

"Did Mom and Dad already give you your fifteen birthday spankings?" she asked jokingly. The camera switched hands. I was shaking my head. A man's laughter was behind the camera now. It had to have been Billy. "Okay, then I guess I'll have to." She started chasing me across the yard. The twins and Jake thought it was a game so they started chasing me, too. Vivian caught me from behind and tickled me until we both toppled over to the ground laughing. Soon, the kids joined in, too. I was begging for mercy when the screen went black again. That was it for the video.

I broke down crying. That last bit had taken place a year before the car crash that had taken my sister's life. Carlisle held me close, rocking me back and forth until I gained control over myself. Alice handed me a small present. It was a picture with a ribbon on it. I took the ribbon off. Vivian and I were sticking our tongues out at the camera wearing ridiculous party hats with the number 16 on them.

"This picture was taken the day she died," I whispered solemnly. "When my birthday party was over, I begged her to help me learn how to parallel park. I wasn't very good at it. On the way to the empty parking lot we were going to practice in, a truck ran a red light and hit her car on the driver's side. I can barely remember what happened after that. Next thing I knew, I was being loaded into an ambulance. I cried for Vivian, but no one would tell me anything. When I was moved to a recovery room, my parents came in and told me that Vivian had died instantly."

Carlisle wiped my tears away. Alice seemed to be trying to keep my mind off of it because she handed me the last present.

"I think this will be perfect," she said quietly. The box was fairly big, but not very heavy. It was a clothing box. I took the lid off. The beautiful white dress stared up at me. I lifted it out of the box and stood up, looking at it. Vivian's wedding dress. An envelope fell on the floor. Alice picked it up and gave it to me. She took the dress and slipped it into the garment bag.

I read the outside aloud, "This envelope was already in the box. I didn't open it, though. When Alice called to give us directions, I asked how serious Carlisle was about you. She pretty much said your boyfriend was whipped so I thought you should have this. Dad said Mom told him you were the one that found it. Happy Birthday! Love, Jake."

I opened the envelope. The handwriting belonged to Vivian.

 _Esme,_

 _If you're reading this, then you've met the man of your dreams, and he's realized that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you. This dress found us both, but it found you first. I've just been holding for you. I love you, sis._

 _Love, your sister,_

 _Vivian_

I held the letter close to me and whispered, "Thank you, Vivie." Carlisle hugged me and kissed my forehead. This was the best birthday I could ever have hoped for— all things considered. I cherished every minute, knowing that tomorrow would be just as wonderful.


	11. Take Me Out to the Ball Game

_**Take Me Out to the Ball Game**_

 **Carlisle's POV**

Thunder shook the earth violently and Emmett's eyes widened with excitement. He'd been hoping for a good storm seeing as Tanya and her family were leaving tomorrow morning.

"Yes!" he yelled. "Please, can we baseball? Please?" I laughed. Alice flitted into the room with a ball and a bat.

"It won't rain too much," she said. "Could you be the umpire, Esme?"

Esme nodded. "Of course. How are you going to divide up the teams?"

"Battle of the sexes," Tanya suggested. "Edward and Alice counteract each other quite nicely on opposite teams, but together they're a force to be reckoned with."

"Bella also provides a distinct advantage," Edward argued.

"You could manage to get yourself into my shield. It's like a tent; it protects in between people, too. Besides, I like the boys versus girls idea," she said. She smiled wickedly. "Are you afraid that some females are going to kick your butts?"

"No way!" Emmett swore. I decided not to point out that we were outnumbered 7-5. Emmett was very confident when it came to sports. The field we used wasn't very far from the house. I ran with Esme on my back.

"I can't believe you've never seen a Cullen baseball game, Esme," Emmett said, amused and horrified at the same time. "This just proves that it's been too long since we played some ball. Maybe, if we're lucky, it will storm a lot this summer."

He winked at Esme and she smiled at me. Our wedding was June fifteenth. I would make her one of my kind afterward. The look in her eyes when I proposed was something I would never forget. Even a human mind could not misplace such a wonderful memory.

"Speaking of storms, it's about to start raining," Alice warned. I opened my umbrella and held it over Esme. "Carlisle, you're up first." Alice had the ball in her hand, smiling wickedly. Emmett handed me the bat. I stepped up to the makeshift plate. Immediately, I saw it coming. Alice's favorite pitch was perfectly calculated with the height and strength of the person at bat. It was always a little high or a little low, but you couldn't tell which until it was too late- usually.

A loud crack echoed like thunder as the bat connected with the ball. I flitted around the bases as fast as I could, but Tanya was faster. She picked the ball up and threw it as hard as she could. It hit Bella's hand half a second before I slid toward the base. I was an inch from home when Bella tagged me with the ball.

"Out," Esme said, smiling. I nodded and stole a kiss. Kate laughed.

"No fair," she accused. "You're corrupting the umpire."

"No, he isn't," Edward defended from the line-up behind us. "He's kissing her in the rain. It's romantic." With that, he walked up to Bella and kissed her passionately before stepping up to bat. Bella shook her head. I watched the game from my place next to Esme. Alice wound up for her specialty pitch, then froze.

"Three of them," Edward and Alice said in perfect synchronization. "They heard us playing. They're curious. They want to play, too."

"Should we quit and go home?" Bella asked. Alice and Edward shook their heads.

"They'll be here in a two minutes. We wouldn't have time, and we don't want them to catch Esme's scent," Alice reasoned.

"There are twelve of us and three of them," Emmett said lightly. "I doubt they're going to start something over one human protected by twelve vampires. And if they do, they will burn."

There was a serious edge to his last sentence. We played cautiously for a little bit. When they strode into the clearing, we stood in a loose formation. Males in front of their mates for the most part. Tanya, Kate, and Irina flanked me to help guard Esme. They halted a good hundred yards away. Two males. One female. The male in the front of the trio had dark hair, matching his olive-toned skin. The other male was pale with blond hair. Both had a subtly muscular build. The female was slight with vivid red hair just barely brighter than her crimson eyes. I wanted to sigh with relief. They had recently hunted.

"Hello," I greeted them warmly. "My name is Carlisle. This is my family: Esme, Alice and Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie, Edward and Bella. These are our close friends: Tanya, Kate, Irina, Carmen and Eleazar."

"Hello," the dark male replied kindly. "My name is Laurent. The others are James and Victoria. We heard your game. Would you care for some extra players?"

"We just finished our game," I lied smoothly. "However, you are more than welcome to accompany us back to our home. We keep a permanent residence not far from here."

The wind shifted, blowing Esme's scent across all of us, and cutting off whatever James had been about to say. All three of the newcomers inhaled deeply.

"You brought dessert?" James wondered. We had formed a circle around Esme before he had finished speaking. A low hiss escaped me.

"Esme is not a meal," I growled protectively. Jasper sighed.

"Okay, let's calm this down before things get out of hand," he said. A wave of peace and serenity passed over the clearing.

"Esme is my fiancee. My mate," I explained. "She will be transformed after our wedding in the summer." James was staring at me like I was insane.

"Imagine, if this situation were reversed," Edward said to James. "Imagine, that your Victoria were human, and someone was staring at her with bloodthirsty eyes. Let us return to our home and talk calmly there."

"He makes a very good point, James," Laurent reasoned. He stepped away from James and Victoria. "Don't turn this into a fight over one human. Her scent is not so appealing that you cannot live without a taste."

"You're right," James conceded. "You are a strange group, yellow-eyes. It's amazing that you can remain so close to her." He cocked his head to the side. I sighed.

"Our kind is very different from most vampires. We do not hunt humans. The blood of animals makes our eyes gold rather than crimson," I explained. The three of them looked incredulous, and— in James's case— somewhat disgusted. "It seems that we have much to discuss."

"Indeed," Laurent agreed. This time I ran with Esme in my arms. I didn't want to take any chances. Kate, Emmett, and Jasper kept closest to us. I wasn't taking any chances with my love in danger.

The livingroom seemed full with all sixteen of us standing or sitting around. Laurent seemed to be enjoying Irina's company. Edward looked from them to me and winked. I chuckled lightly. Victoria, the red-head was picking leaves out of her hair.

"There are a few showers upstairs. I can show you where they are, if you like," Alice said to Victoria. She smiled.

"That would be wonderful," she said, taking James by the hand. Emmett laughed suggestively until Rosalie slapped him on the back of the head. Alice shot a glare at him before leading the couple upstairs. Within a minute, she was back in the livingroom.

"So, is he actually going to give up?" Alice asked Laurent. The dark vampire sighed.

"If her scent was especially appetizing, no he would not. James enjoys the hunt more than anything else. It is a game to him. He is all about the challenge, and twelve vampires hellbent on protecting one human is the best challenge he's ever faced," Laurent explained.

"Of course," Eleazar muttered. "He is a tracker; much like Demetri. His mate on the other hand has a knack for getting away. She's somewhat of an escape artist."

"He's leaning more toward letting her be," Edward added. "You made your plans to change her very clear, Carlisle. He is almost sure that if he were to hunt her, then you would just bite her now rather than later. There's no point in angering a dozen vampires. Also, it would hurt his ego."

"The rest of it makes sense, but what does his ego have to do with it?" Bella asked incredulously.

"During his internal debate, a memory surfaced of the only prey that had ever escaped him," Edward answered. A cold laugh came from the top of the stairs.

"Yes, it is true," James admitted. "Only one human has ever survived once I decided to hunt. Her scent was intoxicating to the point of madness. But the old vampire who took care of her was very fond of the little girl."

"Why would a vampire take care of a human?" Esme wondered aloud. I looked at her incredulously. She rolled her eyes at me. "I meant a vampire with normal hunting habits."

"He worked in an asylum. When patients were close to dead, they became his meal, but I don't know why the old one liked the girl so much. I suppose he admired her gift."

Edward gasped. He and James both turned to look at Alice.

"One hundred years earlier, she would have been burnt at the stake for the things she saw, but in the 1920s the doctors preferred shock treatments. Of course, the vampire broke her out of the asylum. When he realized that I was on the hunt, he bit her. She didn't even seem to feel the pain," he continued. Alice seemed frozen. Jasper put his arms around her protectively.

"Why did he just leave me there?" she asked slowly. James's booming laugh filled the room.

"He didn't leave exactly. You see, I was very put out with him. In all of my very long life, I still have not come across a scent as delectably mouth-watering as yours. I did the only thing that seemed rational at the time," he said. Victoria descended the stairs and took his hand.

"Oh," Alice whispered. James and Victoria walked to the door.

"We will take our leave now," he announced. "I will not harm your mate."

"Thank you," I said. "Go in peace, friends." They both looked at Laurent.

"I believe I will stay a while longer," he said. "If that is alright with you, Cullens. Irina has invited me to Denali." James nodded to him, then opened to door and followed his mate out. I turned to Laurent.

"You are welcome to stay. It is nice to see our cousin-of-sorts has made a... friend." I smiled, as did most of my family. Emmett was shaking with silent laughter. We would have to work on his manners later.


	12. Surprise Visit

_**Surprise Visit**_

 **Esme's POV**

The day began in many different directions for me and the Cullens. For Carlisle, it was an eight a.m. shift at the hospital that he couldn't get out of- even though he desperately wanted to stay home. Edward, Bella, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper set off for another day at school. But my day had started at five-thirty with nausea and vomiting.

"I'll be fine," I assured Carlisle when he called to check on me. "Focus on work. Besides, I heard you ask Alice to keep an eye on me."

"I just want you to feel better," he said with concern. "Get some rest and plenty of fluids. I made some chicken noodle soup this morning and put it in fridge."

"You're too good to me," I joked. "I think I'm becoming a little spoiled."

"I love you," he said simply. I smiled.

"I love you, too," I sighed. "Enjoy your shift. I'll survive."

"Okay," he conceded. "See you when I get home."

"See you," I repeated and hung up. My stomach twisted again, but I didn't throw up. The nausea was fading, thankfully. I curled up on my side and drifted off to sleep.

 **Edward's POV**

I sighed out of sheer boredom. Esme hadn't given the substitute a lesson plan so the block became a study hall.

"When will Esme get to feeling better?" Bella asked Alice. Alice's eyes slid out of focus for a few seconds.

"The worst of it has passed. She'll be fine by the time we get home from school," she replied in a whisper. Before she could continue, her eyes slid out of focus again. A look of horror spread across her face. I watched the vision in Alice's mind, gripping the table in outrage. A vampire with eyes glowing red. A vampire drinking Esme's blood. Esme's dead, drained body lying on the living room floor.

"We have to go home, now!" I said. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and sent a quick text to Carlisle.

 **Call the school and check us out, please! It's an emergency. I'll explain later.**

There was no reply, but less than two minutes later the office called over the intercom for the six of us to check out of school. I drove with a purpose.

"Alice, try to find out who this vampire is," I ordered with an edge of panic in my voice.

"What vampire?" she asked. "The two of you haven't told us anything!"

"Alice had a vision of a vampire killing Esme!" I replied. Four identical gasps of shock filled the car. The Volvo never slowed once, not even when they reached the winding dirt road. We ran into the house, taking up an immediate defensive position.

"I didn't think it was time for school to be out already," Esme said, looking up from the couch. She glanced at the clock on the wall, and then narrowed her eyes at us. "Did you skip the last half of the day?" Before I could answer her question, my phone vibrated.

"Carlisle," I answered. My voice dropped too low for Esme to hear. "Alice had a vision of someone hurting Esme." I tried to make it seem less serious and for good reason. Carlisle let out a barely muted scream of agony.

"Is she okay?"he demanded. He was more scared than he had ever been in his life. I assured him that Esme was fine, then noticed that Alice was trapped in the future. In the vision, Aro, Caius, Marcus, and various others standing in the livingroom. The vampire who would have killed Esme among them.

"The Volturi is coming here," Alice said solemnly. "They were in the area. Aro wants to visit with Carlisle. They will be here in two minutes."

"Stall them. I'm coming home now," Carlisle said firmly. A light knock broke the tense silence. Alice opened the door.

"Good afternoon," she said, showing no surprise at their arrival. Aro smiled.

"You must be Alice," he said, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. He looked around the room. "Ah, Edward and Bella, it is delightful to see you again. I believe you've both met Heidi, or Elizabeth as you knew her."

"Heidi," I mused. "Interesting change."

"It was my middle name," she batted her eyelashes at me. Bella growled softly while another Volturi guard, Chelsea, laughed.

"Save it, Heidi," she suggested. "It didn't work then, and it won't work now— even with your extra abilities. He's bound too tight."

Heidi hissed as Bella narrowed her eyes into slits. A flood of calm surrounded the room. Esme sighed with relief. Caius turned to her with a snap of his head.

"Surely, Carlisle wouldn't approve of a premeditated slip of control," he sneered. I glanced at Esme.

"She serves a greater purpose to this _family_ than sustenance. This is Esme Allen– Carlisle's fiancee," I explained. I stared intently at Aro and Caius, making sure to catch their every though. They both looked shocked as I answered the questions in their heads. "Yes, Aro, she knows. Of course, we remember the rule. Ask her yourself."

Aro turned to Esme. "I have a gift somewhat like young Edward's," he began. "I would like to hear your story."

Esme looked at me. "Aro requires physical touch to read your thoughts, but he also hears every single thought you've ever had," I said calmly. Esme still looked panicked. I turned to Aro. "Carlisle will be here soon. He is two miles away."

"We will wait to see of he approves, then," Aro agreed. Esme looked relieved. "Does your ability extend that far?" I nodded.

"I can hear every thought within a three to five mile radius depending on how attuned I am to the person," I admitted before rolling my eyes. "Other than Bella's of course. Thank you for reminding me, Alice." My voice turned slightly bitter at being reminded of my beloved's silent mind. Once more, I wondered why I was forced to hear the thoughts of Emmett and Rosalie when the one person I want to hear is a mental mute unless she feels like sharing!

By the time Carlisle walked through the door, Aro, Caius, and Marcus were sitting on the couch with four members of the guard standing behind them. Esme was sitting on the love seat looking at them. Aro stood and walked to Carlisle.

"My old friend, it has been too many years," he said enthusiastically. He held out a hand and Carlisle took it. Aro's face lit up with delight. They stood like that for two full minutes. When Carlisle's memory of killing Dale surfaced, Aro's face contorted with shock.

"Yes, time seems to fly by these days," Carlisle agreed, taking a step back to stand by Esme.

"I wonder," Aro began. "May I try my gift out on your mate?" Carlisle's eyes flickered to Esme.

"That would be up to Esme," Carlisle replied. He looked into her eyes. "Darling?"

"Of course," she agreed bravely. Aro had referred to her as Carlisle's mate. She smiled at the thought. Aro held a hand out to her and she took it. As Esme's every thought filled Aro's mind, they filled mine too. I hissed in shock when the memories of Dale surfaced. Esme looked at me apologetically. Even Aro seemed surprised by what he was hearing.

"Such a dark past," he muttered as he let go of Esme's hand. "I was surprised at you, Carlisle, but now I understand. And human vampire-lore claims we are the bloodthirsty monsters."

I was still watching Esme with a pained expression. My eyes burned with hate for the man who had hurt my mother. Esme knew what I had heard. Silent tears fell down her cheeks, but not for what had happened. Esme cried because her past plagued her family more than it plagued her. I took a deep breath.

"Everything will be okay now, Mom," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She smiled. It wasn't the first time one of us had openly called her "Mom", but it still warmed her heart. Carlisle wiped away her tears and held her close.

"Interesting," Caius mused. I turned to him.

"I told you she meant a lot to our _family_ ," I said, stressing the word family for Caius's thoughts referred to us as a coven, but the word "coven" felt too empty to describe the our feelings toward each other.

"Esme started mothering us less than a month after she and Carlisle began dating," Emmett added. He grinned mischievously. "Even though we're all at least fifty years older than her."

Esme shrugged her shoulders facing the Volturi. "So what if the youngest of my children was born in the 1920s, and my fiancé is three and a half centuries old. I love them all."

Aro smiled. "Well, my dear friends, it is time to say goodbye. I hope to see you again, soon, Esme. It will be nice to see how you adjust to your new life. I had always wondered when Carlisle would find his other half." With that, the Volturi left the house. No one spoke for five solid minutes.

"I suppose the threat behind his words should not surprise me," Carlisle sighed.

"Aro trusts you to abide the law. He saw your intentions the moment you touched his hand," I said reassuringly. "Right now, we have bigger problems than the Volturi. As a matter of fact, one of them has just turned onto our driveway."


	13. Threats and a Change of Heart

_**Jacob's Threat**_

 **Carlisle's POV**

"Who is it?" Esme asked.

"Jacob," Edward answered. "He seems to have found a way around the orders he was given. He wants to speak to Carlisle. By the tone of his thoughts, I doubt the conversation will be friendly."

"I will meet him halfway. Everyone else should stay here," I decided. Esme opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted. "Darling, if he loses his temper with me and you're there, you could get hurt. I'm not so easy to injure. If he wants to speak to me, then he most likely wants to speak to me alone. I will be fine."

Esme bit her lip with worry. I kissed her forehead and ran out the door.

"If anything goes wrong, we will only be a mile and a half away," I heard Edward say soothingly. "I will still be able to hear their thoughts."

I slowed to a walk 150 yards from Jacob, stopping fifty yards later. Jacob's expression was beyond livid. I was acutely reminded of the rage I had felt at seeing the bruises on Esme after Dale had attacked her.

"Hello, Jacob," I said politely. Jacob's eyes narrowed.

"Cut the crap, leech," he spat. "I want you to stay the fuck away from my aunt. She's been through enough without you stealing her life one way or the other."

"I know what Esme has been through," I replied solemnly. "She is a very strong and very special woman."

"I know that," he yelled. "The treaty was your idea, parasite, and it still stands. If you make her a bloodsucker, I'll rip you to pieces. If you kill her, I'll rip you to pieces. Do you understand, leech?"

"I'm sorry you feel this way, Jacob, but I love Esme. If she wishes to become a vampire, that is her decision. As for killing her, I could never harm Esme. I would set myself ablaze before I would even think of hurting her," I stared into Jacob's eyes, trying to make him understand; nevertheless, his cold hatred wouldn't budge.

"Imagine, if you will, walking the Earth for two centuries struggling to master your animalistic desire to kill and feeling utterly alone. Try to envision seeing two people so in love their hearts faltered in sync with one another, saving them the only way you could, and watching their love for each other grow; all the while feeling utterly alone. Yes, the loneliness was buried behind the joy of companionship, but seeing the things you can't have makes you want them more. Edward and Bella have spent almost a century together. Emmett and Rosalie were next in my family to find each other. Alice and Jasper found us fifty years ago. If you had lived more than three hundred years without love, would you let it be ripped away once you finally found it?"

Jacob stood in stony silence, looking at the ground. The silence stretched on. Finally, he looked at me again. "I won't let you kill her."

 **Esme's POV**

"Take me to them!" I demanded. "Jake is my nephew. I know what to say to him."

"Carlisle can handle himself," Edward assured me.

"I'm not worried about Carlisle, or Jake for that matter. I'm worried about Billy. Now, show me where they are or I will stumble through the woods until I find them," I threatened. I knew they were more than capable of stopping me, but I hoped they wouldn't. They stood in silence for so long I started toward the door. There was only one way for me talk some sense into Jake, and it wasn't by staying in the house.

"Climb on my back," Bella said, sounding defeated. Edward's eyes widened. "If Jacob loses his temper, I will bring her back."

"I'll go, too," Jasper announced. "If he starts to lose it, I'll use my gift to contain the situation." No one else said a word, but they all followed. We traveled in silence. When we approached the arguing two, Jake's form began to shake. I hopped down from Bella's back and started to walk right up to him, but the others stopped me. I heard a low growl build in Jake's chest.

"Let me talk to him," I demanded. Edward's expression was careful and calculating. He hugged me.

"Be careful, Mom," he said, and let me go. I threw Carlisle an apologetic glance as I walked past him. Jake anger seemed to be faltering. I turned and shook my head at Jasper, but he shrugged, mouthing, "It's not me." I turned back to Jake.

"Why are you threatening my fiancé?" I asked calmly. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared with anger.

"You're my aunt– my family. I won't let you become a filthy leech, or even marry one for that matter," he half-shouted. I looked into his eyes.

"That isn't your decision," I said firmly.

"He's no better than the last one. I saw the bruises a few months ago, Aunt Esme," Jake said. Hisses of shock sounded behind me. I shook my head.

"Carlisle would never hurt me. Did Billy not tell you Dale escaped from prison?"

"What?" Jake said weakly, looking around.

"He did, and he found me. I barely got away from him long enough to call the police," I whispered. Carlisle walked to my side, taking my hand.

"Nothing in my very long life has ever angered me more than seeing my Esme bruised and bleeding. In truth, the treaty was broken that night. I found the monster, intending to make him turn himself in, but I couldn't control my rage. I killed him so he would never be able to hurt her ever again," Carlisle admitted. Jake staggered back in shock.

"You shouldn't have said that. When Sam finds out, he will kill you. He'll make me help. As much as I want to kill you for what you're planning to do, I don't want to kill you for something I've been wanting to do for years," he said.

"You say you've wanted to kill Dale for years. You know how miserable Esme was," Edward stated matter-of-factly. "So why would you put her through the pain of losing the man she loves? She is finally happy, and you want to tear it away from her. The two options you see would hurt her beyond anything you could imagine. If you killed Carlisle, she would never be able to look at you the same way. Not to mention, there is no way in Hell I would let you hurt the people who are, for all intents and purposes, my mother and father."

"Which means there is a third option," Alice continued. "You and your pack can accept the fact that Esme is a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. You and Billy can visit her anytime you want. The wedding is June 15th, you're both invited so long as you can handle knowing this will happen. Is that okay with you, Mom?"

"Of course, Alice," I replied. "Jake, I know you hate vampires, but I will always be your aunt, and I will always love you."

"Please don't make me say it," Bella begged, cutting off whatever Jake had been about to say. The intense look did not leave his eyes. She sighed. "I lost my biological mother and my mother-in-law within weeks of the end of my human life. I don't want to lose another mom."

Tears slid from Jake's eyes. He stepped forward and pulled me into a tight hug. After letting me go, he wiped his eyes. "Sam is gonna be pissed," he said simply before turning his gaze to Carlisle. "Take care of her, bloodsucker."

Without another word, he turned around and broke into a run. His body erupted into that of a giant wolf. My eyes widened in shock as he disappeared into the woods. As Carlisle pulled me into his arms, I wondered if our problems with the wolves were really over.


	14. Accidental Alpha

_**Accidental Alpha**_

 **Jacob's POV**

I could feel Sam's anger as if it were my own when I phased into my wolf form.

" _Come home, NOW_ ," the alpha commanded. I no longer ran of my own free will. My legs pushed harder, taking me home to face one pissed off boss-man. I tried anything to keep from thinking of Aunt Esme and Carlisle. " _REPORT_!" He laid every bit of Alpha power into the order. Unbidden, the images came.

 _"She's still human. The wedding isn't until June,"_ I thought to him. _"The treaty hasn't been broken."_ It was hard to lie when the person could see into your mind. The memory of Carlisle's confession came to the surface of my thoughts. Sam sat on his haunches and howled. Within seconds, the others had phased as well.

 _"Quil will be here in a sec,"_ Embry thought quickly. _"He had to take Claire to Emily's."_

 _"I'm headed your way,"_ came Quil's thought mere seconds later. I wanted to sink into oblivion. Bloodsucker or not, Carlisle didn't deserve to die for this. Sam started pacing.

 _"The leader of the Cullen coven has broken the treaty. He took the life of a man in his upper-twenties, Dale Barnes."_

 _"Hey, Jake, wasn't that your Aunt Esme's ex-husband?"_ Embry asked.

 _"It was, and I don't think this action should be punished. He was protecting the woman he loves."_

 _"Love,"_ Sam scoffed.

 _"Yes, love, I believe you understand the concept. What would you do if someone tried to kill Emily? Quil, how would you feel if a maniac attacked Claire? Jared, what if Kim were in danger? Just try and tell me you would not move Heaven, Hell, Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire to keep them safe!"_ I shouted.

 _"So we should just give the leech a free pass to break the treaty?"_ Sam asked rhetorically. _"What happens when he decides he'd like to make Esme one of his kind? Should we let that pass, too? You WILL help us destroy this enemy, Jacob. We go tonight."_

I fought his edict. Quil and Embry begged me with their eyes to let it go, but I couldn't. Aunt Esme was finally happy. She was with someone who loved her and treated her right. And so I fought. There was one little word with the power to liberate me. All I needed was a simple 'no'; nevertheless it wouldn't come. I thought of how crushed Aunt Esme was going to be. She had survived a lot in the past.

 _"This is murder,"_ I thought desperately. Summoning every ounce of strength I possessed, I looked straight into Sam's eyes. _"No."_

Cold fury seeped into us all. _"What?"_

 _"I said, 'No'. I won't be a part of this, Sam."_

 _"You don't have a choice. You WILL–"_

 _"ENOUGH!"_ I shouted. He went silent immediately as the Alpha tone echoed in my voice. The others were completely silent; which was eerie because Quil usually always had a thought for everything. Sam bristled.

 _"This pack won't follow you, Jacob Black."_

 _"I don't want to lead the pack. I told you that."_

 _"Two Alphas can't exist in one place."_

 _"Then I know just where to go. I will stand between you and the Cullens. They may mot be my favorite people by any means, but I won't let you take away my aunt's happiness. She's marrying Carlisle in June. The others are like her kids. They even call her 'Mom'. I won't let you kill her family."_

At that moment, I turned and walked away. Once I disappeared from their sight I broke into a run. Howling filled the air. I ran back to the Cullens' house as fast as my legs would allow.

 **Edward's POV**

Jacob's thoughts reached me just before the sound of running. I stood quickly.

"We have a problem," I announced. "Jake is on his way back. He's come to warn us the pack is on it's way." Jake bounded through the door.

"I'm not the threat here– I swear," he rapidly assured us. Emmett and Rosalie joined us from upstairs. "I tried not to think of what Carlisle said, but it came into my mind anyway. Sam could tell I was hiding something. The pack is coming for Carlisle tonight."

"They can't have him," Emmett said firmly, crossing his large arms. A shrill ring filled the tense air around us. Esme's eyes narrowed into slits as she looked at her phone.

"WILLIAM EPHRAIM BLACK, IF THAT PACK OF OVER-SIZED PUPPIES COMES WITHIN FIVE MILES OF MY FAMILY, THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY IN THE WORST OF WAYS. I DON'T CARE THAT I'M HUMAN AND AS SUCH NO WHERE NEAR AS STRONG. I WILL FIND A WAY, AND YOU ALL WILL RUE THE DAY YOU CROSSED ME!" she screamed. Everyone in the room jumped. We had never seen Esme this angry.

"Did your fiancee happen to mention that he killed a man?" Billy demanded coldly on the other end.

"Did the leader of your little canine unit mention that man's name?" she fired back. There was a pause of silence. "Go on, ask your lapdog."

 _I'm gonna try not to take this personally. She's just mad._

I suppressed a grin and focused on Esme. Even Emmett hardly used the kind of profanity running through Esme's mind.

There was a conversation happening on the other end of the line.

"What was the man's name?" Billy asked quietly.

"Dale Barnes," replied another man who I assumed was the Sam Jake had mention. There was a sharp intake of breath and the line went dead. Esme was shaking with rage as she lowered her cell phone and set it gently on the coffee table. Carlisle wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. He gave Jasper a desperate glance. Jasper nodded and began siphoning her anger away.

 _Please, just leave the anger,_ Esme begged silently. A tear slipped from her eye.

"Good idea, Jake, let's check the perimeter. You, Emmett, Jasper, and I will do a sweep of the general directions. Jake, you take west so no one accidentally crosses the Quileute border. You other two, take your pick. Alice, Bella, and Rosalie, patrol around the house a bit in case someone slips by us," I decided. Jake looked slightly confused, but just shrugged and headed out the door. Before going outside, he turned to Esme.

"Nothing's gonna happen to him, Aunt Esme, I promise," he said softly. He looked from Jasper to Emmett to me. "Let's go give Alice, Bella, and Rosalie nothing to do, guys."

 _What the hell was that supposed to mean? Are we incompetent because we're girls?,_ Rose thought menacingly.

"He meant it as, 'Let's make sure they don't get that close to the house,' Rose," I assured her, then followed the other three out the door.

 **Carlisle's POV**

The smell of Esme's tears brought back memories I never wanted to see again. I held her a little bit tighter. We stood in one another's arms for an immeasurable length of time before Esme's cell phone rang again. This time, I answered it. Stress had finally wore Esme down and she was fast asleep.

"Hello?" I asked politely, not having bothered to check the caller ID.

"Is Jacob safe?" Billy Black asked in a strained voice.

"He is perfectly safe," I swore. He sighed with relief.

"May I speak to him?"

"He is running a patrol with my sons."

"How can you say he's 'perfectly safe' and then tell me he's alone in the woods with three vampires?" Billy demanded, sounding thoroughly panicked.

"My sons would not harm Jake. It is against the way we live, to say the least. Most importantly, they would not cause Esme the pain of loss. **They** understand that hate is a weakness," I said simply. "When Jake returns, I will tell him you called."

"Make sure you do," Billy said shakily. "You should know, we've postponed making a decision as to what we should do about your breach of the treaty. You haven't killed anyone since, have you?"

"Nothing human," I replied. "I won't give excuses for what I did. There is nothing that can justify the taking of a human life. I will say this, though: I love Esme with more than everything I have. For nearly a century, I have watched Edward and Bella's love for each other grow. Their love was one of the main reasons I changed them. I couldn't let something so powerful die. Years later, Rosalie was hunting when she found Emmett. He had been attacked by a bear and was bleeding profusely. She carried him one hundred miles back to our home without taking any of his blood. To this day, she has never even tasted human blood. Seventy-odd years later, their love grows as well. Alice and Jasper share a love so deep, you could search every language known to man and still not find a word to do it justice.

"I finally found that kind of love, after three and a half centuries of loneliness. We went dancing, and after I took her home I went to the hospital to cover a shift for another doctor. Almost an hour later, an ambulance brought Esme into the emergency room. The beautiful, intelligent eyes I had lost myself in had bruises around them. The lower of the soft lips I had kissed was split, swollen and bleeding. I listened in on her report to the police. He had been trying to rape her when she hit him on the head with her answering machine. My world turned red."

Shocked silence filled the other end. I stroked Esme's hair absently. A full five minutes had passed before he spoke again; his voice resigned and slightly reminiscent.

"I can't fault you for this. I've know Esme for many years. She's so much like her sister. When she was yelling at me earlier, I could almost hear my Vivian. It reminded me of the day she got into a fight with Rachel and Rebecca's kindergarten teacher. Rachel was going through a phase where she pretended to be Rebecca when she got into trouble. The girls are identical twins and the teacher couldn't tell the difference between the two. One day, another kid said Rachel had tripped her. Instead of calling me or Viv, the teacher took a switch to both Rachel and Rebecca to make sure she got the right one. Viv lost her temper. She yelled at the teacher for five solid minutes, and then hit her with a switch. We home schooled after that. When Viv died, I put the kids back in public school."

"I'm very sorry," I whispered with feeling. "I don't know if I could survive losing Esme, and I definitely do not ever want to find out!"

"I had three children who needed me," he explained. "You mentioned how you feel about Esme. Your 'children', what do they think of her?"

"They call her 'Mom'," I smiled. "Her eyes light up every time one of them says it– even when she's in the middle of scolding them."

"Do eighty year old vampires require much scolding?" he wondered wryly.

"Just Emmett," I explained. Footsteps approached the house. "Speaking of Emmett, my sons and Jake have returned."

"Ask Jake to call me back, if he wants to. You can let everyone know the wolves won't be coming for you anytime soon," Billy allowed. "Goodbye, Dr. Cullen. Take care of Esme, or I might change my opinion of you." He hung up.

The boys were pushing each other playfully. "You've got some speed in you, cuz," Emmett boomed. I shushed him, gesturing to Esme; nevertheless, she stirred and sat up. "Sorry, Mom, I didn't mean to wake you. I'm just shocked. We didn't find anything, so we raced back, and Jake almost beat Edward."

"I would have phased, but these are the only clothes I have with me, and I'm not sure I can go home," Jake admitted.

"I can take you shopping," Alice offered, walking through the door and holding Jasper's hand. "That is, if it's safe enough to leave the house."

"Billy called," I informed them. "They have postponed making a decision. The wolves won't be coming any time soon. He asks that you call him back, Jake, if you want to."

Esme immediately held her cell phone out to Jake. "Use my phone." She looked at me. "Did the two of you talk about anything else?"

"He had a few questions for me; which I was more than willing to answer."

"What kind of questions?" she pressed. I could see where she was going. She wanted to know if she needed to yell at Billy a bit more. A slight nod from Edward told me I was right.

"He asked if Jacob was safe. I assured him he was. He asked if I had killed anyone since Dale. I said, 'nothing human'. I told him how I feel about you in great detail. He asked what the others thought about you. I mentioned that they call you 'Mom'. The last thing he said before hanging up was, 'Take care of Esme, or I might change my opinion of you'," I listed. She bit her bottom lip the way she always did when she was thinking.

"I guess I'll let him off the hook for now," she allowed reluctantly. "He's been playing the part of overprotective big brother for a long time." Esme slipped into a thoughtful silence. The only sound came from Jacob's pacing as he argued quietly with his father.

"I'm not coming home until you tell me the pack is going to leave the Cullens and Aunt Esme alone," I heard Jake say. His tone was serious and straight-forward.

"You would put them before your tribe, your family?" Billy asked incredulously on the other line.

"Aunt Esme is my family," Jake said firmly. "When she marries Carlisle, the Cullens will be family, too. Emmett already calls me 'cousin'." Esme looked at Emmett. She had heard Jake's comment. I watched her closely, wondering what she would say.

"Well, he will be," Emmett said simply, shrugging at her scrutiny. A small tear fell from her left eye. Pulling Esme close to me, I kissed it away gently. She smiled brightly. Seeing the people she loved getting along brought out her maternal side yet again. Not for the first time, I asked myself what I had done to deserve such a wonderful, passionate woman. Though I could think of nothing, I was happy to have her in my life and know she would be mine for eternity.


	15. Furniture, Food, and Fights

_**Furniture, Food, and Fights**_

 **Esme's POV**

I looked out the livingroom window uneasily. Jacob was sleeping underneath a tree in his wolf form. I felt so horrible. It was my fault he didn't feel comfortable with going home, and the scent of vampires made it hard for him to be in the house for very long. He had described it as inhaling ice or having bleach poured into his nose. There just didn't seem to be anything I could do to make it better.

Slowly, I walked back to my laptop. The plans for the cottage were sitting there, waiting for me to elaborate on them. The cottage. I froze in place, a smile growing on my lips. Jake could stay at the cottage. The vampire scent wouldn't be as prominent there. We could have it furnished within a couple of days. I turned to Carlisle who was sitting on the couch with a book.

"You're worrying again," he said, looking up at me as I walked toward him with my laptop.

"I was just thinking about how hard it must be for him," I admitted, downplaying the turmoil within. "The cottage is ready to be lived in just as soon as we get some furniture in it. Jacob could stay there while we wait for Billy and Sam to come to their senses.

"We can start tomorrow, if you want, darling," he replied. I smiled brightly. Carlisle wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed my forehead. Alice and Jasper joined us without a word. A small grin was threatening at the corners of Alice's mouth.

"I see that smile, Alice," I told her with a you-are-so-busted tone.

"I love having blackmail on Edward," she said lightly. "Every year, around this time, he starts planning his and Bella's anniversary. This year is their 90th, and at the beginning of a new decade in their marriage he always manages to come up with something he's never done before."

"It must be hard after 90 years," I mused. "I wonder what he'll do for their 100th anniversary."

"Oh, that one has been planned for years," Alice said, off-handedly. "Emmett and Rosalie renew their vows every few decades. Edward and Bella don't because they don't feel like they need to. I got to plan a wedding for Em and Rose five years after Jasper and I joined the family. Around that time, I begged Edward and Bella to let me plan a wedding for them, but they refused. I kept bugging them, and finally they agreed to renew their vows on the day marking one century of marriage, and every one hundred years afterward."

"What she didn't mention is the thirteen years she spent bugging us before we gave in," Bella said, walking through the front door with Edward close behind her. I laughed.

"And I thought I was stubborn," I muttered. Carlisle chuckled, kissing my forehead.

"What do you want, Edward?" Rosalie demanded as she and Emmett descended the stairs.

"It's not what I want," he fired back. "It's what Esme wants. We're moving furniture into the cottage tomorrow."

"Oh," she said, glancing at me apologetically.

"I want to get the cottage fixed up for Jake. It's my fault he can't go home," I explained. Carlisle's eyes lowered in shame. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "I mainly want to make it livable as soon as vampirically possible. I also want it to be a surprise. He'd argue with me if he knew what my plans were just now. We'll let him know that we're moving things in, but don't let him know who it's for."

The others nodded in agreement and listened intently as I talked about what kind of furniture should be moved in. The cottage had three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen/ dining room, medium-sized livingroom. The entire place would have a rustic look when we were done.

"We'll take a trip to Seattle in the morning to pick everything up," Carlisle added.

"We'll have to make it quick," Alice warned. "The sun will come out around three in the afternoon." Her eyes slid out of focus again. "As a matter of fact, the sun is going to be out for most of the week– weird."

"Seriously?" Jake said excitedly. Alice nodded while Edward grinned. "No school for a week! Sweet!" Jake had transferred to Forks High School because I refused to let him drop out of school, and he refused to go home. The wolves wouldn't attack any of the Cullens in public. School and work seemed to be the safest places for them. Jake and I dropped Carlisle off at work and picked him up when his shift was over. I knew deep down he hated the constant surveillance, but I wasn't going to risk him getting hurt for anything.

I looked out the window, surprised to see the moon instead of the sun. How long had we been making plans? I stood and stretched, checking the time. 7:37. Jake's stomach rumbled loudly.

"What do you want for dinner, Jake?" I asked with a small laugh, walking toward the kitchen. He sat up a little straighter when I said the word "dinner", and followed me into the kitchen.

"You know, this has got to be my favorite part of the whole house," he said, leaning against the counter. "Why don't you go sit with the others? I'll cook. I've had a lot of practice over the last few years. Dad has a little trouble reaching the stove these days." He started searching the cabinets and fridge. "Let's see, steak, mashed potatoes, cream-style corn, and chicken broccoli rice?"

"Sounds good to me. Let's both do the cooking, though. Emmett is probably in there criticizing all of the things you just listed anyway," I replied.

"Okay, I'll peel the potatoes," he offered. Alice bounced into the kitchen immediately.

"I'll peel them," she chirped. "I've never cooked before. It should be interesting. As for the steaks, we have a grill in the garage if you want to set it up, Jake. Just take Emmett with you if you do. It will keep him out of trouble."

Jake immediately walked back into the livingroom. His eyes had widened when Alice mentioned the grill. I suppose it was a man thing. I heard a loud guffaw from Emmett before the sound of the front door closing.

"Bella," Alice called out. "Do you still have your grandmother's chocolate chip cookie recipe?" Seconds later, Bella entered the kitchen with a very old index card in her hand.

"Yep," she said simply. "The boys are out marveling over the grill. Emmett couldn't even think of a smart-aleck comment about the thing. Men!" I looked out one of the many kitchen windows. The four of them were crowded around the grill with awe-filled expressions. An amused chuckle sounded at the doorway. Carlisle was standing just inside the kitchen, watching us. It seemed he had followed Rose, who was pulling pots and pans off the rack. I laughed, too, taking a good look at the scene around me. My vampire daughters were helping me fix dinner for a human and a werewolf. Next thing I knew, a cloud of white powder hit my face. Alice was grinning devilishly. Bella and Rosalie were also covered in flour. In a flash that was no more than a blur to my eyes, Rosalie grabbed the bag of flour from Alice, emptying its entire contents over the unsuspecting psychic vampire's body.

The boys walked through the kitchen door no more than a second later. Emmett took one look at Alice and literally dropped to the floor with laughter. Alice whipped her head in his direction. Flour from her hair clouded the room. Emmett stood with a dangerous look on his face, and Bella immediately grabbed the nearest powdery substance. Within seconds, I realized what Emmett would do. Calmly, he walked to the spice cabinet and pulled something out. Hiding it quickly, he walked back to Alice.

"You know, you used to be so sweet," he mused. "Maybe, this will help." From wherever he had hidden it– I hadn't been able to see around Carlisle who flitted to my side– Emmett upended a bottle of honey over her head. Alice's face scrunched up in disgust as the honey ran into her mouth. This food fight had every possibility of turning into an all-out battle. I look up at Carlisle for help.

"Get cleaned up," he commanded softly. Without any argument– or at least none that I heard– they left the room.

"So," Jake began, drawing the word out for a few beats. "Can we order a couple of pizzas?"


	16. Follow You Home

1 _ **Follow You Home**_

 **Carlisle's POV**

As I parked my car in the garage, I felt a sense of completion. This feeling used to come from arriving at the hospital to begin my shift. Now, I was always anxious to go home. I wondered how Jasper, Edward, and Emmett could stand to go on weekend hunting trips without the girls. Spending a single second without Esme in my arms, or at the very least in my sight, was painful.

I ran inside. She and the others were playing "Harry Potter Scene It" in the living room. As I crossed the room toward her, Esme took a bite of a Granny Smith apple. I chuckled as an old, human saying flickered through my mind.

"Should I be offended?" I asked with mock seriousness. Her brow wrinkled with confusion. Edward laughed, picking up my thoughts.

"That depends," Esme said. "What did Harry Potter do to you?" I laughed again, shaking my head slightly. The confusion lines on Esme's forehead grew deeper. Her expression was unbearably adorable. The kind of smile only Esme could elicit stretched across my face, furthering my sense of absolute peace.

"'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'," I quoted. Understanding lit Esme's eyes. She grinned, taking a slow, dramatic bite from her apple. I lifted her from the couch and into my arms, kissing both of her cheeks.

"Hundreds of apples could do nothing to keep this doctor away," I whispered, pressing my lips against hers softly. Emmett whistled suggestively. Esme pulled away, narrowing her eyes at him warningly. Seeing her switch into "mom mode" around the others sent my mood soaring. Jasper grinned at me, and then his expression dropped– a mask of worry taking its place. His eyes fell on Alice's rigid position next to him.

A scream shook the house. I covered Esme's body with mine protectively as the living room windows shattered. Alice's face contorted with pain while Edward's eyes filled with dread. Her scream went on for an entire minute.

"No!" Edward whispered. "It cannot be. He's dead." His eyes shifted. He was trying to make sense of whatever Alice had seen.

"What did you see, Alice?" Esme asked nervously. She climbed out from beneath me and walked to Alice. "Everything will be okay, sweetie. We just need to know what's going to happen."

Alice turned to me and said quietly, "He didn't die. Somehow, the venom saved him. Dale is a vampire. He's coming for her." I stopped cold. Like the windows, my euphoria shattered into millions of tiny pieces as fear and hatred flooded my body. Esme was frowning at Alice for speaking to low for human hearing. "Jasper, I'm going to lie for Esme's sake. Play along, please." Alice took a deep breath. The sobs shaking her petite frame were genuine even if the words she was planning to say were not. Jasper shook his head.

"She needs to know," he argued at a normal volume. Jasper looked into my eyes, and dropped his voice again before continuing. "He will never touch Esme. You can't protect her by lying to her."

"Someone had better tell me what is going on right now!" Esme said shakily. She blinked rapidly, holding her tears back. I held her close to my chest.

"Dale is alive. My venom apparently circulated through what little blood he had left. He is a vampire," I said quietly. "Alice saw him coming for you." Her body tensed in my arms. I searched my mind for a way to save her without losing any of my family. Changing her early seemed to be my best bet. Alice shook her head.

"It won't be that easy. He doesn't want her blood," she reminded me. "He just wants Esme dead. He wants you dead, too. In my vision, he waits until you're at work, and the rest of us are shopping except for Esme. She has a meeting at school. When her meeting ends, he kidnaps her and kills her. Then, he brings her body to the house and puts–"

"Alice," I groaned, interrupting her. I dropped back onto the couch and buried my face in my hands. He was a newborn. He was strong. Then, Edward said the words just as I thought them.

"Why has he waited so long? He wouldn't have had a very good idea of what he was. Even if he figured it out, Dale would have lost what little of his mind he had left," Edward mused.

"Maybe, he came across another vampire," Alice reasoned. "I didn't know what I was until I had my first vision of Carlisle, Edward, and Bella." She froze again, eyes sliding out of focus. Edward hissed at whatever Alice's vision was revealing.

"He's talking to Elizabeth," Alice said. She returned to the future yet again. "She called herself Heidi when you met her, remember."

"Can you tell what they're saying?" I asked, desperation crept into my voice. Alice slipped into the future while Edward concentrated.

" _I understand how you feel, Dale. The Cullens ruined my life, too. Bella all but killed me_ ," Alice said, quoting Elizabeth's words it seemed. A low growl built in Edward's chest.

"Just tell me what they are saying," I commanded.

" _I'm going to rip that bastard, Carlisle, apart. As for Esme, if she thought my little stunt with the fire on her 25_ _th_ _birthday was bad, I can't wait to see the look on her face when I get her this time_ ," Edward spat. His eyes promised mutilation and murder.

" _We'll get them soon enough, but we have to time it just right. I'll let you take care of Esme on your own, but I'm going to need your help with Bella. She's never alone._ "

" _Why won't the Volturi help? You're one of them. Surely, they'll back you up._ "

 _"I've been over this before. Aro won't allow me my revenge because he wants Bella's gift. He's still trying to find a way to get Bella and Edward to join him. Plus, now that he's met Alice, he wants her more than anything. Her visions, combined with Edward's telepathy and Bella's shield, would render the Volturi unstoppable. Not to mention, he already has Alec and Jane."_

 _"Maybe, the Volturi could help me, then."_

 _"No, Aro would not allow it. He's already heard Esme's every thought. He's seen what you did to her. Besides, Carlisle is one of his oldest friends. He would never let anyone harm Carlisle without a very good reason."_

Alice shuddered. "Dale stormed off," she explained. We sat in silence for countless minutes. I could smell Esme's fear.

"What do Alec and Jane do?" she asked quietly. I exhaled slowly.

"Alec's power is like an anesthetic. He can cut off all of your senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, taste– gone. Jane is the opposite. She has the ability to create the illusion of pain in your mind. If you are particularly unlucky, it feels like you're burning inside and out," I shuddered, remembering the time I had been foolish enough to provoke Jane's temper. Jake came bounding through the door.

"What the Hell happened in here?" he asked urgently. "I heard that scream all the way at the cottage."

"Alice had a vision. Dale is alive. Apparently, he had just enough blood left in his body to carry Carlisle's venom. He's a vampire," Edward explained. His forehead became scrunched up in an expression of confusion. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago. Why were you still at the cottage?"

"I had a wolf thing to deal with," he said, trying to sound off-hand and failing miserably. Edward smirked a very Emmett-like smirk. Jake's face was turning red. "Apparently, I have a pack now," he said quickly. "Seth and Leah Clearwater both went wolf. They're waiting outside for me to explain."

"Bring them in," Esme said warmly. Jake ran to the door and opened it. Two teenagers walked through the door. Jake's hand immediately found the girl's and held it. I smiled. He had never mentioned a girlfriend.

"Aunt Esme, Cullens, this is Leah Clearwater and her younger brother, Seth," Jake introduced. "Seth, Leah, this is my aunt, Esme, her fiancé, Carlisle, and his 'kids' Edward, Bella, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie."

Edward laughed suddenly. "No, we don't have fangs. That's just a myth," he said, looking directly at Seth. Jake and Leah both shot Seth an annoyed glance.

"How come we haven't heard about Leah before, Jake?" Esme asked curiously.

"We hadn't seen each other in over a year. Not to mention, we never really talked then," he replied, seeming confused.

"So, why are you holding hands?" Emmett asked slyly. Jake and Leah both blushed a little bit; nonetheless, neither relinquished the other's hand. Seth grinned mischievously.

"Imprint."

"Can we focus on the psychotic vampire who we thought was dead, please?" Rosalie requested forcefully.

"Right, psycho vampire," Jake said seriously. "Rose, you really shouldn't talk about yourself that way." Rosalie's eyes narrowed into slits. Jake backed into the door.

"Just trying to ease the tension. I'm sure the eight of us can handle one vamp. Dale died once. Apparently, it didn't stick. This time, we'll make sure he stays dead. We'll make six separate fires. One for each arm and leg, one for the head, and another for the rest of him."

"Oops, did we forget to mention he's not alone," Rose fired back angrily.

"This is not the time for your bickering," I reminded them. "Dale has a vampire named Heidi working with him. She is a member of the Volturi guard. The Volturi are a coven much older than even me. They are very powerful themselves, but their guard is their main defense. The Volturi won't help Heidi and Dale, but Heidi's gift is allure. She could sway others to do what they will not."

"If she's a member, why won't they help her?" Leah asked curiously. Nervously, she added, "Not that I'm complaining, of course."

"Aro likes to collect powerful vampires. When he looks at our family, he doesn't see the love between us. He sees a mind reader, a very powerful shield, a brilliant seer, and a gifted manipulator of emotions," Edward said, disgusted by the truth of his words. "He wants to collect Bella, Alice, Jasper, and me for his guard. That's why the Volturi won't help Heidi. They don't even know Dale is a vampire. They think he's dead. As far as Aro knows, Heidi is still out for revenge on Bella."

"What did you do, Bells? Steal Edward from her," Jake asked sarcastically. The question was obviously rhetorical, but Bella looked as if she would be blushing were such a thing were possible.

"Not exactly," Bella admitted. Jake's jaw dropped. "Edward and I knew Heidi during our human years. She went to school with us. Around the time Edward began to court me, Heidi decided she wanted him. We fought like cats and dogs over him. One day, I went as far as pushing her into a creek."

"By the time we got married, she had backed off and succeeded in stealing some other girl's man. When the epidemic hit, Bella and I both ended up sick and dying. Carlisle saved us," Edward took over. "Not too long afterward, Bella and I were hunting a herd of deer when Bella caught a human scent. She ran to it. Heidi was almost dead by the time I caught up to Bella. When she saw me, she took one look at the body and ran back to the house we were living in at the time, leaving her venom circulating through Heidi's veins."

"Heidi was engaged to be married when I bit her. She wants to kill me because I stole her life," Bella finished. "Maybe, she just wants to kill her pain. A few years after her transformation, Heidi found her fiancé and attempted to make him a vampire, but she lost control. He died in her arms."

"You never mentioned that to me," Edward said accusingly. Bella stared at the floor with shame.

"Do you remember the day our fourth anniversary? You spent all those hours setting up the perfect date. Heidi found me. She attacked me– said the whole thing was all my fault. The fight got dangerously close for both of us. In the end, she ran away. That's why I was late," she admitted solemnly.

"You said you couldn't decide on what to wear!" Edward hissed.

"I just didn't want you to get upset or angry. I wasn't going to let anything else get in the way of me enjoying my anniversary," Bella explained. Edward's expression softened minutely.

"I can't believe you waited eighty-five years to tell me someone tried to kill you," he said, shaking his head incredulously.

"Okay, so back to the psychotic vampires," Emmett said, breaking the tension. Edward's expression grew fierce as he nodded to Emmett.

"I'll agree with that thought," he said. His voice was deadly, and for the first time I was scared. Alice suddenly became even more pale.

"No, you can't. We have to take Heidi out first. If we get Dale first, the Volturi might agree to help her," she said frantically. Edward rolled his eyes.

"That silly girl is even more an idiot now than she was when we were human. She loves him," Edward exclaimed. Esme shook her head with a small smile.

"Then she has a death wish," she said simply. Leah's head cocked to the side infinitesimally with confusion. Esme noticed. "Dale isn't very nice to the women who love him; which Heidi probably could have surmised from the way he's hell-bent on killing his ex-wife and her fiancé. Who knows? Maybe she'll have the sense to fight back, and they'll destroy each other." Anger flashed in Leah's eyes, causing Jacob and Jasper to look at her, worried.

"He– did he– that bas–" Leah's entire body began to shake so violently her form blurred. Jake and Seth dragged her out the front door just before she exploded into her wolf form. Jake sent Seth back in the house while he phased and followed Leah into the forest.

"Is she going to be okay?" I asked. Seth shrugged without confidence.

"It's just brought back some bad memories. Leah's college roommate, Angel, was her best friend. They did pretty much everything together until Angel started dating this guy who was a real jerk. After a couple of weeks, Leah noticed that Angel had started wearing make-up. Finally, she admitted her boyfriend was beating up on her. Leah spent days convincing her to leave the guy. She told Angel to make sure people were around when she did so he couldn't do anything." Seth's hands balled up into fists. "The asshole got her alone while Leah was in class and killed her."

"Oh, no," Esme whispered, mortified. A tear slid from her eye. Seth took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"I'm sure Leah's heard all she needs to hear," he added. "She'll be out for blood now. She beat the hell out of Angel's boyfriend until he confessed. He tried to press charges on her for assault, but the judge threw the case out before it even went to court."

"I killed him once," I sighed. "I guess I'll–" Edward looked at me fiercely.

"No!" his voice rang with finality.

"Esme is my–"

"She's our mom. Jake's aunt," Edward argued. "You had your turn. This time, we kill him."

"Edward's right," Emmett said, standing up. "And when we're done Dale is going to be begging for the fire to turn his sorry ass to ash."

Esme opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it. Without warning she stood and left the room. The others were already talking strategy. I followed her into the kitchen.

"They're going to get themselves hurt, and I can't stop them," she said with frustration. "I don't care if it will be six against two. I don't want them fighting Dale. Fighting back doesn't help." She broke down entirely, trapped in a memory of darker times.

"Our children are strong, Esme," I said consolingly. "Jasper spent the first eighty years of his life fighting against newborns, and even some of the more skilled vampires. You've seen him wrestle with Emmett and Edward. They can handle themselves."

"What about Alice, Bella, and Rosalie?" Esme countered.

"The girls are tough. Alice's visions make her virtually untouchable. Bella and Rosalie are strong and resourceful in a fight. They know to use their surroundings to their advantage," I told her, mentally pleading her to believe me. "Besides, all six of them fight dirty and like to criticize martial arts movies. Do you remember what I said about Food Network?" I felt her nod against my chest. "Vampires tend to learn a lot from the things they mock."

Esme pulled away from me and walked back to the livingroom. Jake and Leah had returned from the forest. Esme stood before them with solid defiance in her eyes.

"If even one of you gets yourself hurt, I will ground you all, and you all will spend a month's worth of nights in separate bedrooms with no chance of being alone together during the day, and there will be NO touching, do you hear me?" she threatened void of any sign that she might be kidding. Seth snickered at the horrified expression on Emmett's face, eliciting a glare from Rosalie. Nevertheless, six voices rang out simultaneously.

"Yes, Mom."


	17. Constant Vigilance

_**Constant Vigilance**_

 **Esme's POV**

I turned around with a sigh of frustration to find a guilty smile on Emmett's face. Ever since Alice's vision, I couldn't go anywhere without supervision. "Stop playing Mad-Eye Moody and go to class, Emmett," I said without patience. We were in the same hallway as my classroom for crying out loud.

"I am going to class," he claimed. "It's second block, remember. We young Cullens have Interior Design with our father's bride-to-be for a teacher!" I mimed choking him in the air as soon as we entered the classroom.

"You're making Harry Potter references again," Alice and Edward said at the same time. I sent them a glare and went to my grade book for attendance.

"I make Harry Potter references when I'm frustrated. You caught me! I'm a Harry Potter nerd. The only person in the world who could possibly know more about those books is J.K. Rowling, and that's just because she wrote them," I ranted. "Where is the rest of the class?"

"Actually you're a Harry Potter **geek**. A nerd is basically a geek who can't get a date, and you're engaged; which means you've had lots of dates," Alice corrected.

"I don't think she's in the mood to be corrected, Mary," Emmett taunted. Her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Don't call me 'Mary'," she snapped harshly. "I did not research a past I don't even remember to have it used against me, Emmett Clarence McCarty." Emmett's jaw dropped.

"Clarence?" Jake snorted. I growled in frustration; which seemed to humor my nephew even more– a human growling at six vampires and two werewolves.

"Where is my class?" I asked again, desperately trying to change the subject.

"The others are on a field trip," Bella said happily. "The eight of us are the only ones left." My eyes flickered across the room. Edward, Bella, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Jacob, and Seth were the only ones there.

"Okay, in that case, we're going to leave past names out of class discussion," I began, preparing to make more Harry Potter related comments. I pointed at Edward. "You stop with the Legilimancy, or I will ask to borrow your wife's Occlumency. Alice, please, focus your Inner Eye elsewhere, or I will make sure you see something you don't want to see. And, Jacob, for Heaven's sake, quit texting in class or the next time we have a sunny day I'll make you go to school. You just saw Leah a few hours ago."

"Sorry, Aunt Esme," he said, blushing slightly.

"It's not entirely his fault he's so obsessed," Seth defended. "The nauseating goo-goo eyes are just part of the whole imprinting package."

"What is imprinting?" I asked curiously. Jake sighed wistfully.

"It's the way werewolves find their soul mates. When you lock eyes with the one you're meant to be with, it's like you're a hot air balloon and the ropes holding you to the Earth have been cut off. There is no gravity. Then the ropes are replaced with steel cables tying you to your sole reason for living; in my case, Leah," he explained, lost in the memory.

"Of course, Leah is a wolf, too; so it's kind of a double imprint," Seth added. "I guess you could say, the Fates have handcuffed them together for all eternity and thrown away the keys."

"Hmm... handcuffs. Sounds kinky," Emmett mused. Mentally, I cringed.

"He meant metaphorical handcuffs, Emmett. Their souls are bound together forever by the double imprint," Edward said with exasperation.

"Okay, let's just stop talking about my love life, shall we?" Jake said nervously. Rosalie grinned wickedly, enjoying his discomfort. The enmity between the two of them was still strong as ever.

"We have bigger problems. Jake, tell your father to get out of his house NOW," Alice warned. Jake began dialing without a single question. Edward nodded at whatever Alice was thinking and pulled his cell phone out as well. "Esme, can you call in a substitute teacher?" I picked up my phone. The panic in her eyes was very real.

 **Alice's POV**

I tried desperately to reign in every ounce of calm I could find within myself. We had dodged one bullet by getting Jake's father out of his house in time, but Dale wouldn't give up. I had seen him find Billy and use him to get to Esme. We reconvened at the house. Billy and Sam met us there, much against Sam's will. They were both stunned into silence by our news about Dale.

"Did he hurt anyone?" Carlisle asked softly. Sam shook his head.

"When we started to close in on him, a woman came and practically pulled him away. We chased them both all the way into the ocean," he replied. "This is a problem you created. You wouldn't happen to have a plan for getting rid of them, would you?" A low growl built in Edward's, Emmett's, and Jasper's chests. I held up a hand.

"Carlisle had his turn. His job is to protect Esme while the rest of us get rid of Dale. That's six vampires against two," I said menacingly.

"And a wolf," Jake added. Seth rolled his eyes.

"What are we? Chopped liver?" he asked, offended. "Six vampires and three wolves against two vampires. It's hardly even a challenge." Jake looked into Leah's eyes and shook his head.

"I don't want to have to worry about you getting hurt. You haven't been a wolf for very long," he whispered. Defiance crept into her entire body.

"So, I'm supposed to sit around worrying about you?" she demanded. "No, I'll agree to keeping Seth out of it, but if you fight I fight!"

"Arguing will solve nothing," Carlisle interceded. "The three of you need to help protect Billy. It will look too suspicious if we all just disappear."

"But you and Esme could," I reasoned, dropping my voice too low for human hearing to pick up on. "I know you wanted the island to be a surprise for after the wedding, but I think you need to take her there. He'll never find the two of you there. He couldn't even track your scents."

"I am not going to leave you here to deal with this by yourselves," he said firmly.

"You'll be protecting Esme while we take care of Dale no matter where you are," I countered. "Go to the island. It would also be a good way to distract Esme from what's going on here." A new future appeared before my eyes, and I knew he had caved. I clapped my hands together.

"Okay, tomorrow, Jake, Seth, and Leah, need to go back to La Push. Billy will be a lot safer with a werewolf or two living at his place," I started.

"A werewolf or two?" Billy interrupted.

"Imprint, we'll explain later," Jake and Leah said simultaneously.

"As I was saying," I continued. _Edward, call the airline and book tickets for Carlisle and Esme. They can take a boat to the island from Rio de Janeiro._ "Esme, we need to get you off of Dale's radar. The six of us will be driving you and Carlisle to the airport in twenty-eight hours. Rosalie, Bella, the three of us are going shopping now. I don't see Dale trying anything else today, but keep your guards up. It only takes a split second to change the future."

"Where are we going?" Esme asked. I looked at Carlisle. He smiled.

"It's a surprise," he said mysteriously. Esme narrowed her eyes. She wasn't really in the mood for surprises, but I knew she would love the island.

"Okay, let's go," Rosalie said, snapping me out of my reverie. Bella was smiling grimly.

"Only you would find an excuse to go shopping in the middle of a crisis," she criticized. My eyes widened with feigned shock and mock innocence.

"You heard Carlisle. Their destination is a surprise. You can't pack for a climate you know nothing about; which means those of us who know where they're going have shopping to do!" I said defensively. Esme turned her glare to me, but I was out the door before she could begin scolding. She glanced back a Carlisle who held his hands up helplessly. Esme needed something to wear on the island. Besides, I had explained to him long ago the way my shop-aholic tendencies worked. Upset, angry, worried, and/or frightened had only one cure: shopping spree!


	18. Private Island for Two

_**Private Island for Two**_

 **Esme's POV**

By the time we boarded our third flight, I had resolved never to fly anywhere ever again. Leaving the state to get away from Dale was one thing, but no one said we would be fleeing the country. Carlisle urged me to sleep anytime I felt tired. However, my unconscious mind wasn't very kind when I did manage to drift off. My dreams ranged from nightmares about death and flames to the kind of dreams that made me very glad Edward wasn't near enough to read my mind. Nevertheless, I couldn't shake the worry.

"Everything is going to be fine," Carlisle assured me. "Jasper is a very experienced fighter, and the others will learn quickly."

"I'm more worried about my very breakable brother-in-law," I admitted. "I also cannot believe you failed to mention we would be leaving the country! Did Alice just pick a random South American city to send us to?" Carlisle response startled me. His face looked nervous. When was Carlisle ever nervous?

"Actually, this was supposed to be a surprise for after the wedding," he said so softly I barely heard him. "If you like it, we can always come back. We'll be landing in Rio de Janeiro a little after sunset."

"Will be staying in Rio?" I asked warily. Carlisle grinned, shaking his head. "Please tell me we are not boarding another plane!"

"No more planes," he promised. "We'll be taking a boat from Rio to our final stop, but I'm not telling you where that is because it's a surprise." I sighed and rested my head on his stone shoulder.

"Did I mention, I hate surprises?" I asked. Carlisle chuckled, pressed his lips to my forehead, but said nothing. Relief and anticipation flooded me when the pilot's voice came over the intercom announcing our descent. We took a taxi to the harbor where a small boat, sleek and obviously built for speed, waited by the dock. "I didn't know you could drive a boat. I guess that really shouldn't surprise me at this point."

"Well, you tend to pick things up over the years. Rosalie has a pilot's license. Emmett got a CDL and a semi back in the early nineties. It was handy for moves, but we got rid of it after Alice went on a shopping spree and completely filled a forty-three foot long trailer with clothes and shoes," he laughed. My jaw dropped as I tried to comprehend the magnitude of what he had just said.

"I guess that would explain why she packed five suitcases for me," I mused, rolling my eyes. She really did need to slow it down. "In all the time you've known her, what's the longest Alice has gone without shopping?"

"One month," he replied promptly. "She had a bet going with Bella, though. After the month was up, she forced Bella to spend an entire week on a shopping trip with her. This was last July; just two months before I met you." Carlisle kissed me softly on the lips. The warm air around us made his cool hand feel comfortable against my cheek. I sat in the chair next to the driver's seat while Carlisle untied the boat.

The sea spray felt like raindrops kissing my face as the city lights faded. I took a deep breath, appreciating the salty smell. Carlisle held my hand in one of his and steered the boat with the other. After almost thirty long minutes, he smiled.

"We're almost there," he said loudly, competing with the boat's engine. "Do you see that small dark triangle up ahead?" I squinted through the darkness and found it. A smile grew across Carlisle's face as an island came into full view. Lights were shining inside an average sized house sitting atop a small hill. Carefully, he guided the boat up to a miniature dock extending into the ocean. Once it was tied up, he cut the engine and climbed out to help me onto the dock.

"Welcome to Isle Esme!"

My eyes widened with shock. Isle Esme? The beach was powdery like flour and slightly paler than Carlisle; which was saying something. The moon was full overhead, lighting the jungle-like path to the house perfectly.

"Do you like it?" Carlisle asked. He wrapped his arms around me from behind. I tilted my head, looking up into his eyes.

"It's beautiful." Our lips met and he kissed me thoroughly until we were both breathing heavily. Carlisle pulled away, took my hand, and led the way to the house. "When Alice warned me about the Cullen family's gift-giving tendencies, I thought she was talking about jewelry not private islands."

"Technically, it's only one private island," he reasoned. "Besides, if I'm going to give you the world, I have to start somewhere." His words were soft and sweet.

"I don't need the world, just you," I whispered. It may have been cheesy and typical, but it was also true. Nevertheless, Carlisle smiled down at me. As we approached the house, I was stunned by how much it resembled the new plans I had been working on since we finished the cottage. A cedar porch wrapped around the first floor. The house itself seemed larger than it really was due to the size of the island. The entire western wall of the livingroom was glass.

I ascended the porch stairs in a dreamlike state, yet, as soon as I reached the top of them I was pulled off my feet. Carlisle's eyes smiled with amusement at my confusion. It took me a second to realize he had lifted me into his arms and carried me across the threshold.

"Wait here while I get the suitcases from the boat," he said politely, laying me down on an extremely comfortable sofa. It was almost too quiet, as well. A yawn escaped me followed by a laugh. Usually, Emmett made some sort of jibe about my yawning. The door clicked shut behind me. I jumped a little and turned to face the source of the noise.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you," Carlisle apologized. I smiled and stood.

"It's okay. I'm just used to the many sounds of home. Jake and Rosalie arguing. Jasper and Emmett wrestling. Alice whining at Bella to go shopping with her," I trailed off wistfully.

"Bella making the word 'shoes' sound like an expletive, and Edward playing the piano in the background of it all," Carlisle added.

"Exactly," I murmured, leaning against him. "I can get used to the quiet, though."

"Let's have a look at the rest of the house, then," he said happily and lifted all seven of the suitcases at once. The kitchen was designed almost exactly like the one back home. We clambered up the stairs and stopped at the first door on the right. The room was mostly white with a large canopy bed in the middle. "We'll be staying in this room, unless you like the other one better, of course." Another yawn from me filled the silence. I hadn't even noticed how tired I was before, but the sight of the bed was very inviting.

"Maybe we should finish the tour tomorrow," I suggested. My words were punctuated with yet another yawn. Carlisle chuckled softly at me.

"Perhaps, you're right," he conceded, entering the room and laying my luggage on the bed. "I'm not really sure what is in these." I walked to his side and opened the closest suitcase. It was filled with sun block, tanning oils, and bikinis. The next two held clothes for lounging about during the day. The fourth I opened and then quickly closed.

"Mary Alice Brandon Whitlock Cullen," I said acidly before continuing in a tone of pure menace. "You are going to be in so much trouble when I get home!" My phone vibrated in my pocket. I opened it, surprised to have reception in the middle of the ocean.

 **Just in case!** Alice's text message read. I narrowed my eyes and it vibrated again. **If you don't need them, just leave the suitcase on the island for your honeymoon.**

"Is everything alright?" Carlisle asked. I nodded stiffly and reopened the fourth suitcase. Inside, there were four piles of neatly folded lingerie. Each stack had at least four different outfits in it. "I see." Carlisle stared at the contents of the suitcase for a few seconds before I closed it again as if I were putting the lid back on Pandora's box. We'd had that conversation already. Carlisle wanted to wait until after I was a vampire. To be honest, it was a nice to change to have a man who didn't want to hurt me.

Slowly and warily, I opened the last suitcase, breathing a sigh of relief when I saw the sets of normal pajamas. I pawed through them for a few seconds and finally decided on a baby blue tank-top and matching shorts. Carlisle was watching me with a small sadness in his eyes.

"I do want you," he whispered. "You know that, right?"

"I know," I assured him.

"I've seen you covered in bruises before and I don't want that to happen again. I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you," he said fervently. "Watching you go through the transformation will be torture enough as it is."

I rested my palm against his cheek. "You wouldn't hurt me. I have complete faith in you, my love." Carlisle bent down and kissed me tenderly. When we broke apart, I grabbed my pajamas and headed to the bathroom. I wasn't giving up just yet, though. Liquid fire coursing through every vein and artery was no way for a girl to spend her wedding night.

 **Carlisle's POV**

The feel of Esme's lips against mine lingered sweetly even in her absence; a smoldering flame of desire. The running water of the shower sounded in the bathroom and took my mind away to interesting places. I took a deep breath and walked to the sliding glass door, opening and then gently closing it behind me. A light breeze ruffled my hair gently. I closed my eyes, letting the wind wash over me, and begged for strength. To love Esme in every way would be too risky. One wrong move, one slip of control could easily become fatal.

From the background of my thoughts, I heard the shower cut off. Instantly, I grabbed onto the reserve of self-control I had built up in the last two centuries and went back inside. Esme exited the bathroom shortly afterward. A pang of sorrow shot through me at the sight of her scars. Most of them were too small and thin for human eyes to see. Vampire eyes, however, did not miss a single one. More than once, I had spent the night counting them: one hundred thirteen on the right, one hundred thirty-four on the left– two hundred forty-seven total. There were more on the tops of her legs, and those were just the self-inflicted ones.

"They only get more noticeable when you stare," Esme said, following my gaze to the forearm crossed in front of her. A sad smile touched her lips. "Part of me still expects them to vanish, but I know they won't."

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, darling," I said reassuringly, knowing she thought they made her ugly. I hadn't decided not to tell Esme that the transformation would remove every scar she had ever suffered. I wanted it to be a surprise.

She tried and failed to stifle a yawn. I smiled widely. "And you have the most adorable yawns. Sleep, love, it's been a long day." I lifted Esme into my arms and carried her to the bed. A mischievous, albeit tired, grin hit her lips as I gently laid her down.

"We are all alone," she reminded me. "No perpetual teenagers with superhuman hearing around to eavesdrop on private moments." And then she was kissing me. My lips responded to hers without a single command from me to do so. My arms wrapped around her, pulling her warm body against my cold one. My hand grabbed at the back of her shirt causing a seam to split on the side.

"Esme," I whispered in reverence and pain. Our breath was heavy and uneven. "I'm sorry."

"It's just a shirt," she replied. I shook my head.

"It could easily have been you, though," I argued. "I can't risk hurting you, possibly even killing you. This is uncharted territory for me." I stared into her eyes, mentally pleading with her to understand. I was never married as a human, and certainly not since I had become a vampire.

"How uncharted?" she asked, realizing we had never covered that part of my past even in our last conversation about sex.

"Completely," I said, stressing the word. "Which is why I will not put your life in danger. The wedding is in a little over a month, and three days afterward you'll be a vampire."

"Sometime in the next month, will you please at least think about it?" she requested. I searched her eyes for some way to better explain my reluctance.

"I spend most nights thinking about it," I replied, a hint of sarcasm in my tone.

"Okay, allow me to rephrase," she sighed. "Will you please seriously consider having a real honeymoon before transforming me into a vampire?"

"Where do you find such faith as you have?" I asked incredulously.

"Do you really have to ask?" she countered rhetorically. "You're a vampire who spent over a hundred years conquering his bloodlust so he could become a doctor. A vampire who feeds from animals instead of humans and led others to do the same. A vampire who performs open-heart surgeries and isn't fazed by the sight or smell of the blood. Who could possibly have better self-control than you do, Carlisle?" Though her words had been ardent, Esme's eyelids were drooping.

"If I promise to consider it, will you let yourself sleep?" I requested.

"Yes," she whispered, unable to muster enough volume for much more. I pressed my lips against each of her closed eyes.

"Then, I promise." I pulled Esme closer to me where my cool temperature could protect her from the heat of the island. "Sweet dreams, my love."


	19. An Army of Our Own

_**An Army of Our Own**_

 **Alice's POV**

"So, why is Esme cursing every name you have ever had," Edward asked casually, scowling because I had asked Bella to block my mind.

"She isn't cursing my names," I said, denying her anger even though I had felt it in the vision. I, personally, couldn't see what the big deal was with a little lace. "She's just not ready to thank me, yet."

"'Mary Alice Brandon Whitlock Cullen, you are going to be in so much trouble when I get home'," he quoted perfectly. "Sounded like cursing to me."

"Well, she'll be thanking me later," I said confidently and delved into the future once again. Another vision of the battle played out like a movie within my mind. Sadly, what the actual fighting lacked in finesse was made up for by the clarity of the things I saw. Only the faces in the fire changed. Heidi's gift helped her gather an army quickly. Their numbers sat around sixteen.

"You don't have a choice," Jake had argued after my first vision of the battle. "Let us help."

He took to bugging me about joining the fight every day, but I wasn't ready to give up my advantage. Yet another vision hit. "Damn it, the Denalis are going to be here any minute. They wanted to surprise us." No sooner were the words out of my mouth than the sound of tires on the driveway reached us. "They won't let us tell them 'No', if they find out what's going on."

"Laurent is with them," Edward said. The Denalis' car came into sight and sure enough Laurent was sitting next to Irina holding her hand. The car came to a smooth stop just as Edward opened the front door. I was about to stand and welcome them when a vision hit me full force.

 _Heidi approaches Peter and Charlotte. "A powerful coven is trying to destroy my mate and I. Will you please help us?" she says, pouring every ounce of persuasion her gift can muster into her voice. Their faces become blank under the hypnosis of Heidi's ability._

 _"Which coven?" They ask in a synchronized monotone._

 _"The Cullens," she replies, her voice still scared and persuasive._

 _"Cullens," Peter whispers. He blinks rapidly and shakes his head. Real fear creeps into Heidi's eyes. Peter growls fiercely. Charlotte, coming out of her hypnosis growls with him. Heidi runs before they can attack._

Jasper was watching me warily, and I realized I had been growling along with my friends. "She tried to recruit Peter and Charlotte," I said incredulously. "They were under her spell until she said 'Cullens'. Peter was the first to snap out of it. He and Charlotte will be here in a few days. She's telling her army that a powerful coven is trying to kill her and her mate."

"Who are you talking about?" Tanya asked curiously. I had been so appalled by my vision that I'd forgotten about the Denalis.

"Heidi," I said, still a little shaken.

"The Volturi's Heidi?" Eleazar asked. I nodded. "Last I knew, she didn't have a mate. Even if she does, why would she be telling others that the Cullens want to kill them? Aro forbade her to continue her vendetta against Bella."

"Her so-called mate wants to kill Carlisle and Esme; which is why they aren't here. We sent them to a place where they'll be safe while we get rid of Dale," Edward explained. "Dale is Esme's ex-husband. He attacked her back in September, and Carlisle lost his temper. He found Dale and very nearly drained all of his blood. We thought he was dead. Emmett buried the body, and apparently there was just enough blood left for Carlisle's venom to circulate. Dale is a vampire. He and Heidi plan to exact their revenge together."

"It's not like Carlisle to take a life in cold blood," Kate said with disbelief.

"Carlisle was at the hospital when Esme was brought in bruised and bleeding a little bit," Edward said solemnly. "Pacifistic as he is, Carlisle is still a vampire. He had waited almost four centuries to find Esme, and Dale tried to rape and kill her." Anger burned in their eyes, and the Denalis understood why Carlisle was driven so far from himself.

I walked to the game room and brought back the chess pieces without the board. One quick scan of the future revealed both good and bad news.

"Okay, their down to thirteen, now," I said jubilantly setting up the battle as my vision showed it. "With Heidi off recruiting others, three of the nomads really got to thinking about who they were supposed to fight, and Dale slipped up. He specifically mentioned Carlisle. Garrett, Mary, and Randall are heading this way to join our side. The bad news is: Heidi isn't mentioning our names anymore."

"The nomads don't like to have their will taken away, and they know Carlisle would never pick a fight," Edward added. "They're close. I can hear their thoughts. Dale and Heidi must not be too far away."

"Then we have them outnumbered," Tanya grinned widely. She looked at each member of her coven in turn. "I am with the Cullens. Will you join us as well?" Edward's brow furrowed, and he opened his mouth, but Kate cut him off.

"You can't say you don't need the help," she argued. "I'm in." Irina, Laurent, Carmen, and Eleazar also promised their help.

A male voice from the front yard called out, "We are here to join you, not harm you." Emmett opened the door and eagerly waved them in. The same male spoke again. "We could not help but overhear your story earlier, and I do love a good challenge. I haven't been in a high stakes fight like this since the Revolution. The name is Garrett."

"The American Revolution," Edward mused. "Other than the promise of a good fight, what makes you want to join us?"

"I swore almost two and half centuries ago that I would bow to no man. The wench tried to use me," Garrett growled. "At least I am here of my own free will."

"Well, well, well," Kate said appreciatively. "A man with a little fire left in him." A very short vision of Kate and Garrett kissing flitted through my mind before I stopped it dead in its tracks. If Kate was kissing a man, it would not stop there. Edward groaned, noting the location of the vision: our attic. Kate and Garrett began making conversation and drifted toward the couch.

I turned my attention to Mary and Randall. Mary was the first to speak. "I may not understand why you Cullens deny yourselves human blood, but I bear you no ill will. Carlisle has my utmost respect. However, I do not like being controlled. Volturi guard or not, she will pay."

"It is as Mary has said," Randall concurred. "I greatly respect Carlisle. It was he who reattached my body when I had been torn apart by someone who did not know to burn the pieces."

"So it's settled. By the end of the week, they will burn," Jasper concluded. I could hear him slipping into soldier-mode. I suppressed a shudder and dove back into the future, looking for a battle plan that worked, but all I saw were flames.


	20. Something Sexy about the Rain

_**Something Sexy about the Rain**_

 **Esme's POV**

The warm ocean lapped around my feet as I sat at the water's edge. In my mind, I catalogued the many parts of this trip. Two things kept returning with an air of fantasy to them. My initial reaction to the island had wore off. It seemed like too much. Not to mention, the house. I had been dreaming up this house ever since I was a teenager. Part of me was waiting for the part where I wake up and none of it is real.

A cool hand squeezed mine lightly. The scintillating brilliance of Carlisle's skin took my breath away again. "What are you thinking about?" he asked gently. I sighed. He knew me a little too well sometimes.

"I keep expecting to wake up," I admitted. "This place is beautiful, and the house is exactly what I have been dreaming of for the past fifteen years."

"But?" he asked, hearing the word in my voice even though I hadn't said it out loud.

"A private island is a rather large gift," I said, unable to look at him. "There's no way for me to even begin to match it. I have nothing to give you in return."

Carlisle's eyes stared into mine with a new intensity. I fought the reaction years of torment had taught me. _Carlisle would never hurt me_ , I chanted in my mind. "You are all I need, Esme," he said. "I wish there were a way to show you how much you mean to me. I would literally give you the entire world if it were at all possible. I would, personally, overthrow every system of government and make you Queen of the Earth, if you asked me to do so. Of course, in my eyes, the title is already yours. I love you."

"I don't need the world," I reminded him. When my eyes returned to his face, I noticed a slight grimace.

"I suppose I could sell the island," he offered, dejectedly. Another round of shame washed through me.

"No," I said, making my smile come back. "I really do love it here. It's just a lot to wrap my head around. Add it to my long list of worries, and it's a recipe for trouble. I'm sorry."

Carlisle pressed his lips against mine in a long, passionate kiss. These kisses were torturous, not that I would ever let him know. At home, I always did my best to control the lustful thoughts, but here on the island I did not have to keep them at bay. Once the filter was gone, the burning desire could no longer be ignored. Too soon, as always, Carlisle pulled away. I waited in silence for my breathing to regulate itself again, and tried to remember what we had been talking about a few seconds ago.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Esme. I wish I could take your worries away, as well." A drop of warm moisture landed on my knee. Carlisle and I both looked up at the sky. Clouds had blotted out the sun. Another drop of rain hit my nose. Carlisle scooped me up into his arms and ran inside the house. A laugh bubbled up inside my chest at the sudden downpour raging outside. Soon, Carlisle was laughing alongside me. Some tiny inkling of my sanity wondered what was so funny, but I didn't care. I leaned up, still in Carlisle's arms, and kissed him softly. I barely noticed the bed beneath us until I was pressed into it, Carlisle's lips dancing along my jaw line and onto my neck.

A peal of thunder accentuated by the sound of fabric tearing made my heart pound in my chest. A flash of heat burned through my body as my skin became aware of Carlisle's bare chest against mine. There was nothing except skin against skin, Carlisle's hands running across my body, his eyes dark with desire. I stared into them, pleading with him to continue.

Carlisle gave forth a reluctant sigh and rolled away from me. I stayed on the bed for a few seconds, completely naked, wondering what had just happened. Fully dressed again, Carlisle handed me a set of clothes.

"I ripped your other outfit," he admitted sounding ashamed. My eyes scanned the bed. The sun dress I had been wearing earlier was torn beyond recognition. Stunned, I began to pull on the new undergarments and outfit; all the while, cursing his nearly flawless self control. "We can come back for our honeymoon before you make the transformation, if you like."

"Promise?" I asked.

"I promise."

The part of my brain in charge of desire silently rejoiced while a more practical side wondered again why it was so important. Later that night, I listened to the rain still hitting the roof and began to miss home even more. Slowly, I drifted into dreamland where anything was possible.

 _I walked into the kitchen with arms full of groceries followed by Vivian. "Put them on the counter," she said in her kind, soft voice. Once again, her gaze went to the diamond ring on my left hand. "I still can't believe you're getting married. I feel so old."_

 _"You're still younger than Carlisle," I reminded her, putting a gallon of milk in the fridge._

 _"That doesn't count, Esme. Even Grandma Lily is younger than Carlisle," she countered, sounding a little uneasy. "I know I haven't exactly been thrilled about the after effects of your upcoming marriage, but I am happy for you. You've found somebody to love who will love you no matter what. Vampire, or not, he is a good man. Even Jake looks up to him— calls him Uncle Carlisle."_

 _"I was so happy the first time he said it," I admitted. "It was like the first time one of Carlisle's children called me Mom, or when Leah called me Aunt Esme. I could hardly contain myself."_

 _"You've been waiting a long time to be called 'Mom', haven't you?" she asked. I nodded vigorously. "It's almost funny considering how much older they are."_

 _"A little bit," I conceded. "They amazing part is, they really mean it, even though the youngest of them is still fifty years older than me." Vivian laughed, putting away the last of the groceries. I sighed, preparing to reveal the downside to vampirism. "I love them each like my own, and they love me like I were their actual mother; which is good because they'll be the only children I ever have. Vampires can't get pregnant."_

 _Vivian looked into my eyes, noting the slight sorrow. She knew how badly I wanted a baby, and now she knew what I was giving up. "I hope Carlisle realizes just how lucky he is," she said. I smiled._

 _"I'm the lucky one."_

Thunder shook the house, startling me into wakefulness. Carlisle held me closer to him. "Alice texted me and said the storm should only last a few more hours," he said, softly stroking my hair. I rested my head against his chest. The sound of his breathing mixed with the patter of raindrops lulled me back to sleep within seconds and whisked me away, once more, to dreamland.


	21. All Hell Breaks Loose

_**All Hell Breaks Loose**_

 **Alice's POV**

I growled at Jake, but the big oaf wouldn't leave. I hated being blind with an army headed our way. Our little army was waiting in the clearing I had seen in my visions of the battle. A fierce wind blew through the trees, carrying many different scents with it. Rose petals, bamboo, and silk infiltrated my senses. Even now, sixty years later, I knew that scent well.

"Who is it?" Edward asked, picking up on my thoughts. Next to me, Jasper tensed, realizing who was approaching.

"I'll give Heidi this, she really does have a knack for making sure the past comes back to bite you in the ass," I seethed. The wind continued to carry the scents of multiple vampires to us, and I easily recognized the rest of the New York coven. "The silk and bamboo is Mai-Li and her mate, Chi-Yang. She is a very lethal fighter. He is a son of Genghis Khan. The annoying metallic clicking is Ivan playing with his lighter; which he always does on the way to a fight. Imagine a violent Emmett who drinks human blood, and you have Ivan— almost to a tee."

"Dibs," Emmett called excitedly. I threw a glare in his direction.

"If we're calling 'dibs', I'll take Chi-Yang," Jasper offered. I directed my stab of panic straight at him. "Alice, someone has to fight him. Would you rather it be an inexperienced fighter, or someone who knows his style? We have sparred before."

I hesitated for a second and took a good look at my family. I did not want any of them to fight Chi-Yang, or any of the other New Yorkers for that matter. My old friends were too deadly. "You brought me here, Alice," Jasper reminded me, holding my face in his hands. "I was very reluctant to share you, and even more reluctant to trust others with your safety. Nevertheless, you made me believe it could work, and you were right. They're my family, and I love them— even Rosalie. I will protect my family." Instantly, I melted into my mate's embrace. Wrapped in his love, I allowed the optimism to seep through my mind.

"Thirty seconds," I whispered. "Go after Chi-Yang if you must, Beloved, but be careful. I can't lose you. I will engage Mai-Li."

"She is the only one of them I will regret destroying," Jasper mused humorously. "Enemy or not, the woman has my eternal gratitude." Despite myself, I laughed.

"I spent a fair amount of time plotting her death that day. I was going to slowly tear her into tiny pieces, spread them out over a thorny field, dowse the field in gasoline, and set it ablaze," I admitted, lost in the past. "Of course, Bella considered doing the same to me when I decided to share the wisdom."

"What did you expect?" Bella asked incredulously. "It was not a conversation I wanted to have with my sister!"

"Rosalie didn't seem to have a problem with it," I told her with a shrug. "Besides, I have ears, you know? There is no way on Earth you still hate me for it!" Jasper's body shook with laughter.

"Was that your mysterious Christmas present to the girls back in '69?" he asked. I nodded. "You picked that year for a reason, didn't you?" I nodded again, grinning impishly, but only for a second. Our time was up. Heidi and her army had arrived. Our loose formation seemed unorganized in comparison to their rows and columns. Their final numbers stood at eighteen. Mai-Li, Chi-Yang, Ivan, Vasily, and Lena zeroed in on me instantly.

"I always knew the Volturi would come for you, Alice," Ivan called, a wicked smile twisted across his lips.

"Fool," Eleazar yelled to him. "The Volturi has nothing to do with this fight, and Aro will see you all burn for your part in this forbidden vendetta. What lies has this vixen fed you?"

"Enough, Eleazar! You left the Volturi many years ago and forfeited your right to speak against us," Heidi spat.

"Think," Eleazar said to the New Yorkers. "If the Volturi wanted to decimate the Cullen family, why would they recruit nomads and seated covens? Why would only one guard be present for the battle? Heidi's true prerogative is to destroy Isabella Cullen for the slip in control that made her into a vampire. Dale wishes to kill Carlisle Cullen and his mate, Esme, because Carlisle took his life. Dale was married to Esme a few years ago, but he raped and abused her. He was sent to prison for the things he did, and just last September he escaped. He tracked Esme down and abused her again. Carlisle was protecting his mate."

"Mai-Li, we owe you so much for your gifts," I said, seizing my opportunity to speak. "I will fight you if I have to, but it would be in everyone's best interest if the five of you went back to New York."

"I have to look out my mate and myself, just as you do," she said. "You left New York so you would not burn because of us."

"Aro forbade Heidi to exact her revenge on Bella out of friendship to Carlisle," I said, twisting the truth just a little bit. "The Volturi may not be after me, but if the five of you don't leave, they will be after you. If one of us dies, the Volturi will burn those involved."

Heidi turned to face her suddenly uncertain army. "They are lying," she said, pouring every ounce of persuasion she had into the words. The army regained its confidence almost instantaneously.

"Where is the bastard?" Dale yelled furiously. "The coward could kill me as a human, but he can't handle an even playing field?" My family growled in outrage.

"Carlisle had his turn," Edward and Bella said together.

"You hurt Esme," Emmett and Rosalie continued.

"Now, you will pay," Jasper and I finished. I was vaguely reminded of _The Princess Bride_ and one of its most famous quotes, 'Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!'.

"Yes, and she'll make a wonderful snack once I'm done here," Dale said with a sickening grin. Hate boiled inside me until everything went red. The rage leaking from Jasper was almost visible as it seeped across the meadow, causing the two armies to surge forward. The three wolves— Jake, Leah, and Seth— charged at Dale. I heard the metallic screech of his limbs being removed. We had planned this earlier. His death would be slow and painful. I turned away from Dale's screams to face Mai-Li. We circled slowly, each looking for an opening in the other's stance. Fires were being lit in a few different places. I flitted back and forth between the present and the future, trying to anticipate her first move, but an opening didn't form itself until a hand was hurtled at Mai-Li's head.

Jasper smiled at me for fraction of a second, and I took the opportunity to attack, wrenching her left arm off and tossing it into a nearby pyre. On the ground, Chi-Yang's severed hand was scrambling to find its body. I kicked it into the same fire consuming Mai-Li's arm.

"I offered you the chance to leave," I reminded her. Mai-Li growled and swiped at me with her remaining hand. I dodged the blow easily, catching her arm. She let loose a high pitched shriek as I pulled it off. Mai-Li lifted a leg in an attempt to kick me, but I twisted out of the way. Reluctantly, I turned my back on Jasper's battle against Chi-Yang. My opponent's mate was not doing well. Pain flooded her eyes, and a deep, victory cry sounded behind me. Mai-Li sank to her knees, and I knew Chi-Yang was gone. As an offer of mercy, I tore her head off quickly. It snapped away along the same line from many years ago. Jasper and I dropped the pieces of the Chinese mates unceremoniously into separate fires.

I took a moment to look around. Ivan must have suffered defeat at Emmett's hands because my brother now held the New Yorker's lighter. Heidi and Bella were locked in a death match, and even I did not know who would come out alive. Other than that, our enemies had dwindled to a fair few. The main battle was over a few minutes later. Only Heidi and Dale remained. The nomad, Mary, took her leave, needing to hunt and reattach a large chunk of her side.

I turned my gaze to Dale's broken and mangled body. Jasper grasped my hand and we walked to him together.

"You will never hurt my mother again," I spat.

"Before we kill you, I will make you feel every ounce of pain you gave her," Jasper said, his voice calm but deadly. He closed his eyes in focus and when they opened, Dale's face contorted with misery.

"Let's put Humpty Dumpty back together again," Edward said with a tone of pure menace. While Jasper kept Dale wrapped in the many layers of abject suffering he had caused Esme, we reattached his arms and legs as securely as possible. It gave us more of him to torture. We sent Peter, Charlotte, Randall, Garrett, and the Denalis away. Rosalie stepped forward with more fury in her eyes than I had ever seen her show.

"I. Hate. Rapists!" she growled. Each word was punctuated with a sharp kick to Dale's groin, and the sound of crumbling stone filled the silence following her words. Dale screamed with pain.

"Just kill me and get it over with," he begged. Jasper, still forcing him to bear Esme's pain, smiled cruelly.

"No," he said simply. "I would rather watch you suffer. I believe we're ready for the gasoline." I nodded readily and flitted to get the gas can at the edge of the forest. Once I returned, I poured the gasoline over his feet. Emmett, using Ivan's lighter, lit a twig and dropped it onto Dale's feet. The sadistic man howled in agony as the flames crept slowly up his legs and onto his torso. Edward and Bella tossed dirt onto his body to smother the fire. Next we lit his hands, following the same procedure. All the while, Jasper kept the vile man trapped in the aftermath of his wrongdoings. To end it, we tore him into tiny pieces, one finger at a time until there were no fingers left. The sun had long been set before we finished snapping his body into pieces no bigger than one of my hands. My family and I watched Dale's pieces burn into ash next to Heidi's. The full moon glowed brightly over us as the flames died.

Quietly, I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and dialed Carlisle's number. "It's over. Dale is gone. You can come home now," I told him eagerly. A sigh of exultant relief answered me.

"Is everyone okay?" Carlisle asked.

"The family is fine. As a matter of fact, some of us are better than fine. You'll see when you get home, but please hurry. I miss you guys, and we still have a wedding to put on when you get back."

"I'll charter a private jet if I must!" he swore and hung up. Briefly, I saw him telling Esme the good news and calling the airlines. A surge of happiness flooded through me. Soon, my family would be complete for all eternity!


	22. Going Home

1 _ **Going Home**_

 **Esme's POV**

It was still hard to believe that Dale was really gone. Carlisle and I were going home at last. I missed the kids so much. The island was incredible, and I had finally come to terms with the idea of such a large gift, but I wanted to see the rest of my family. Even the three plane rides it took to get home couldn't steal away my happiness.

The kids met us at the gate. "I have been working overtime to make sure everything is in order, but guess what happens in just two weeks," Alice said excitedly, pulling me into a tight hug.

"I'm not even sure what today is," I admitted.

"It's June first," Carlisle supplied. "Our wedding is in two weeks." A smile tugged at my lips while anticipation burned through me. Practically skipping, Alice pulled me toward the exit. Eager to get home, I didn't fight as we made our way through the crowd, picked up our luggage, and left the airport.

"Come on," she said happily once we were outside. "The Denalis are still at the house. Esme, I'm begging you to let us add an extra room onto the cottage for them, so they aren't spending their nights in the house. Jake, Leah, and Seth have decided to officially move back to the reservation. Sam has dropped his _complaints_ against Carlisle." Her volume dropped so low I could barely hear. "Edward got to thinking about how Jake is Ephraim Black's heir. If anyone has the right to give permission for Carlisle to change you, it's him. Jake told Sam it was okay with him, so technically your transformation won't be a breach in the treaty."

"What can I say? It's good to be in charge sometimes," a voice said. I looked around and saw Jake leaning against his car. He had parked next to Edward's Volvo. "Sorry I was late. Sue is a very intimidating woman."

"The big, bad wolf is afraid of a human," Rosalie joked condescendingly.

"The big, bad wolf is absolutely terrified of his soul mate's mother," Jake admitted dramatically. He pulled me into a bear hug for a few seconds before letting go and doing the same to a very startled Carlisle. Edward burst out laughing. Jake released Carlisle and glared at his soon-to-be cousin balefully.

"I'm sorry," Edward choked out, unable to control his laughter. Jake's cheeks turned bright red. Once Edward managed to calm down, he apologized a little more sincerely.

"I'll survive. This is the funny part of the story that always follows a serious scene, right? Billy and Sue sat Leah and me down for a very awkward little chat," Jake blurted out, embarrassed. I held my breath in a failed attempt to keep from laughing.

"It could have been worse," Emmett said, grinning at Carlisle.

 **Carlisle's POV**

My eyes bore into Emmett's with more venom than I had ever loosed on one of my children. The devilish grin on Emmett's face spread wider as a similar smile sprang into Edward's features.

 _If either of you say a single word, I will enforce the 'No Touching' punishment Esme came up with,_ I thought toward Edward. This didn't seem to faze him.

"What could possibly be worse?" Jake asked rhetorically. Little did he know, my sons had a legitimate answer.

"Perhaps we should go head home," I suggested before Emmett could reply. Jake didn't need to hear about the conversation between his future cousins and me concerning physically intimate relations. "After all, the Denalis are still waiting."

"Oh, I'm sure they're well entertained," Alice said acidly. "They're worse than Emmett and Rosalie; which is why we should put them in the cottage as soon as possible!"

"Are two more couples in the house really such a problem?" I wondered aloud and even Emmett and Rosalie nodded in reply. Part of me was beginning to wonder if I was returning home to find my house in ruins.

"Well, I'd better get home and let Dad know you guys made it back in one piece. I'm taking Leah to dinner tonight," Jake said with a small smile.

"Why is Leah angry with her mother?" Edward asked. An annoyed look passed through Jake's eyes before he sighed.

"Leah's dad, Harry Clearwater, died of a heart attack a few years ago, and Leah took it really hard. She got really upset when Sue talked to us about her new boyfriend, Charlie Swan. He's the Chief of Police in Forks."

"Oh, yeah, Chief Swan," Bella chuckled softly. "I got curious when we first moved here because my maiden name is 'Swan', so I hacked a few databases for his background check. His great-grandfather was my uncle, Nickolas Swan, and he's named after my human father."

"That's almost a little bit creepy, Bells," Jake told her bluntly.

"I grew up with Charlie Swan. We've known each other since kindergarten," Esme reminded him. "Have you met his daughter, Marie? She moved to Forks back in January."

"Yeah, I know Marie. Dad and I went over to Charlie's when she moved in because Charlie bought Dad's old truck for her," Jake replied. A light buzzing sound filled the short space of silence following his words. "Now, I really have to get going. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer." He hugged Esme again and then clambered into his car. A bright smile grew on Edward's face, but he didn't say anything. Without another word, the rest of us loaded into our cars and drove home.

I sensed more than six vampires inside the house upon arriving back home. Despite my caution, it felt good to be home again. Esme and I led the way into the house. The Denalis sat in the livingroom along with two other faces I recognized. The nomads, Garrett and Randall, waved to me while Tanya and her sisters along with Carmen and Eleazar came to greet us.

"We have a surprise," Tanya said gesturing to herself and Kate. The two sisters walked back to the nomads. Garrett's arms ensnared Kate at the same time Randall took hold of Tanya's hand.

"Well, this certainly is a wonderful surprise," I said wholeheartedly.

"Congratulations!" Esme exclaimed. She bounded forward to hug the sisters tightly. Garrett and Randall watched her as if she were insane. After releasing Tanya and Kate, Esme gave their mates' orange eyes a wary glance before holding her hand out to shake.

"Our coven is now as large as yours, Carlisle," Tanya mused. "It would seem we have become a sizeable family, cousins."

"So we are," I agreed. "Garrett, Randall, I see you have attempted our diet. What do you think?"

"Deer definitely tasted better when I was human," Garrett said, not bothering to hide his disgust. "If I could bag a mountain lion every time, though, I think I could handle it."

"With animals, the hunt is a little more interesting. They sense predators and try to run. It's almost comical," Randall laughed.

"The humans try to run for it, as well," Garrett commented. Randall sighed.

"Yes, but after nearly five centuries, the chase becomes a little boring," he replied. Emmett laughed.

"We'll look for some bears later this week," he promised.

"Still trying to settle the score, babe?" Rosalie asked sarcastically. Emmett pulled her to him with an arm around her waist.

"Always!" he replied, kissing her thoroughly without a care as to who might be watching. I locked eyes with Esme, and she smiled as if to say, 'What are we going to do with those two?'. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper lift Alice into his arms and run out the front door.

"The combination of love and lust in the room was a bit too much for him to handle," Edward explained. "Also, Seth was going to visit, but Jake told him to wait until tomorrow. He wanted to let us know that he imprinted on Marie Swan."

"That's wonderful!" Esme trilled excitedly. "I hoped he would find someone soon, even if he is a little young. Hearing Jake's and Leah's thoughts and their love was weighing on him so much. It seems everyone is finding somebody to love these days!" She sighed contentedly and leaned against me. As always, a serene blend of calm and happiness filled me when I wrapped my arms around Esme. The warmth of her love was further proof that we were never meant to go through life alone, and once again I wondered what I had done to deserve such a wonderful somebody to love.


	23. To Write Love on Her Arms

_**To Write Love on Her Arms**_

 **Esme's POV**

"Miss Allen, I need your help," Seth said nervously at the end of class on the last day of school. His sea-green eyes were twin pools of sorrow, confusion, and pain. "I'll understand if you don't want to answer, but how long did it take you to quit cutting?" A wave of tension rolled down my spine, leaving a tingling feel along my scars.

"The better part of two years," I replied honestly. "How did you know I had been a cutter?" A little bit of red crept into his cheeks.

"Jake accidentally thought about it once," he answered, abashed. "I just wondered because I recently found out a friend of mine is a cutter, and I feel more helpless than I would in a fight to the death against Emmett and Jasper!"

"Does this friend have a name?" I asked, knowing I wouldn't get a straight answer.

"I wish I could tell you, Miss Allen," he sighed. "Is there anything I can do to help her quit? I don't even know what to say. I was so shocked when she told me, all I could do was hug her."

"Hugs are a good start," I told him truthfully. "Be supportive. Let her know you care about her and want to help her. Be careful, though. If she still believe her behavior is helpful instead of harmful, she might resent your efforts."

"Thank you, Miss Allen," Seth said, sounding more like himself. I was still worried, though.

"Seth," I called before he bounced out of my classroom. "Tell you friend, if she ever wants to talk to someone who's been where she is, I'm a good listener."

"I will," he promised and walked out the door. The final hours of the day passed without much excitement. Yells of joy echoed through the halls after the last bell rang, adding to fresh waves of chaos only the last day of school could cause.

I fought my way through the mass of teenagers to reach the blissful peace of my car, and happily settled into the monotonous drive home. Part of me wished I had taken the last day off, but I was out of sick days. My mind wondered back to Seth's words. Maybe, it was a good thing I had been at school today. I could only hope his friend would let him help, or at least come and talk to me. It was hard to know I had probably walked right by this girl in the hallway without knowing. The depth of pain in Seth's eyes suggested it was someone close to him, and I sincerely hoped my theory involving the young lady's identity was wrong.

I was so distracted by my own thoughts I barely noticed Jasper standing in the middle of the driveway. I stopped just short of hitting him, and he climbed into the passenger seat.

"I could feel your worry all the way at the house," he said simply. My eyes widened. We were still nearly two miles from home. "My gift doesn't usually range as far as Edward's."

"I'm sorry, Jasper," I said sincerely. "There's been a lot going on lately, and not all of it has been good."

"No need to apologize," he assured me. "I'm happy to help. Unlike Edward with his two medical degrees, I don't like to advertise, but I do have a degree in Psychiatry." I must have seemed shocked because he just smiled and continued. "I always did want to understand people. Alice says my gift gives me an upper hand in that department, but it does no good to feel someone's emotions if you don't understand why the person is happy, sad, worried, or indifferent."

"True," I mused. We rode the rest of the way in silence. Alice was waiting on the porch when we pulled up."

"Carlisle will be home in ten minutes. Edward and Bella are hunting. Emmett and Rosalie are in the garage. Seth's girlfriend, Marie Swan, is in the living room. She wants to speak with you, Esme," Alice said with mild interest as I reached the porch. "I can't see what it's about. Seth and the other wolves are too much a part of her future, but she knows about us. Seth told her a few days ago. We won't listen, I promise."

I nodded my understanding and walked through the front door. Marie turned to me instantly, and I could tell by the look in her eyes why she had come.

"You're the only one who actually makes noise while opening the door," she said apathetically, playing with a box of mints.

"Alice said you wanted to talk with me," I prompted politely. She gave me a half-hearted smile.

"Seth suggested that I come and see you," she admitted. "He's been worried about me ever since he glimpsed one of my scars."

"How long have you been a cutter?" I asked, remaining calm even as a pang of sorrow shot through me.

"A little over a year and four months," she replied quietly. I pulled the girl into a tight hug. "My mom sent me here because she didn't know what else to do, and she didn't want to send me to a psychiatric hospital. She thought some time with Charlie might help, but he isn't sure of how to handle my problem, either. I had planned to just let them think I was better— that I had stopped. It was working, but then I met Seth. Now, everything is complicated. I never really thought I needed to quit until the moment we locked eyes in the cafeteria. I don't want to hurt him, Miss Allen!"

"You can call me Esme," I told her. "Right now, you need to worry about you. Seth will always be there for you. There's an entire support system of love behind you, Marie. Not everyone can say that; not even me."

"You have Dr. Cullen," she argued. "Seth said the love a vampire has for his, or her, mate is as strong as an imprint among wolves."

"Carlisle's love does a lot to keep me sane, but I had quit cutting five years before I met him," I replied. My "support system" had bee a series of threats, but I that was something Marie didn't need to hear. "What caused you to start cutting in the first place?"

"My Grandma Swan passed away. She was my namesake because we had the same birthday," Marie revealed. "She taught me how to make chocolate chip cookies. They were always the best cookies in the world. What was your reason?"

"Jake's mother, Vivian, was my older sister. She died in a car accident when I was sixteen," I whispered. We hugged again.

"Death is a cruel teacher." The simple fact was stated from a doorway near the kitchen. "I wasn't eavesdropping. Jasper suggested that I join you, if it's alright with Marie, of course." Carlisle walked to my side as he spoke with an open laptop in hand.

"I don't mind. Seth said you were the kindest person living here, after Miss Allen," Marie said, and I admired the confidence in her voice. She was gazing into a vampire's golden eyes, and she wasn't the least bit frightened by his proximity.

"That was kind of him," Carlisle said, seeming a little shocked by the commendation. He sat next to me and looped an arm around my waist.

"What's on the laptop?" I asked curiously.

"Alice had a vision about an organization called 'To Write Love on Her Arms'. She and Jasper did some research and came across their website," he replied, passing me the computer.

"To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. To Write Love on Her Arms exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery," I read word for word from and added, "That's their mission statement. It's part of the Vision." Silently, I scrolled through the Vision, amazed by the ideas represented there.

"The vision is hope, and hope is real. You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story," I quoted in no more than a low whisper. Marie moved next to me and the vision herself, tears forming in her eyes.

"What's the Story?" she asked. My wonder faded into confusion. "There's a button to view the Story toward the top." She pointed to it with a finger, and I clicked the link. Together, all three of us read a story about a young woman named Renee who was denied a place in rehab after a nurse saw the word "FUCKUP" carved into her forearm. For the next five days, she stayed with friends who helped her come down from her high. As the Story said, she was theirs to love. They helped her find the strength to enter rehab, laying the foundation for her to leave drugs and blades in the past.

"I don't know if I could be that strong," Marie murmured. "I wonder if she still struggles."

"I imaging it's been difficult for Renee, but I'm sure the effort has been worthwhile. To be free of something that ruled your life for so long is a wonderful thing," I said encouragingly.

"Charlie's been calling around, looking for you, Marie," Seth said, suddenly materializing at her side. I jumped at the sound of his voice.

"When did you get here?" I demanded, my heart racing. "You just about scared the life out of me."

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I saw Alice and Jasper out front, and Alice told me to go ahead and come inside. You were all pretty intent on what you were reading; I didn't want to interrupt."

"I guess I'd better head home," Marie sighed. "Thank you for listening, Esme, and not calling me stupid. Most people don't, or can't, understand why I do what I do. Some of them just plain don't care." She toyed with the mint box nervously before offering it to me. "Get rid of these for me, please. You have to pull the lid off and take the mirror out to get to the blades."

I took the box and held it tightly. "You are not stupid, Marie, and anyone who says different obviously has no idea what they're talking about," I said firmly and pulled into one last hug.

"I can't promise it won't happen again, but I can promise to try," she said, alternately looking me and Seth in the eyes. We both smiled.

"That's all I ask," Seth said, pressing his lips to her forehead. "I'm always here for you."

"Same here," I promised. With a final "Goodbye", they left the house. I turned back to the laptop where the To Write Love on Her Arms website was still displayed on the screen. It filled my heart to see someone speaking out against the silence we maintain when it's time to discuss the hurt inside. I closed my eyes and prayed the hope this organization spoke of would help heal our broken world; and then maybe, just maybe, the jagged pieces would no longer cut so deeply.


	24. Who You'd Be Today

_**Who You'd be Today**_

 **Carlisle's POV**

My children entered the house shortly after Seth and Marie left. The living room seemed smaller with all six of them stretched out randomly. A smile spread across my lips at seeing my entire family together— even if we were not directly interacting. I watched Esme twirl the mint box in her hands, wondering which method of destruction she would choose for the blades withing its metal body. A mixture of happiness and peace permeated the air courtesy of Jasper. However, there was a flicker of curiosity in my first son's eyes.

"Is something on your mind, Edward?" I asked. He nodded slowly, trying to muddle through whatever was bothering him.

"Every time Seth sees Rosalie, the same question bounces around in his mind, and the more I think about it I realize we've never gotten a straight answer," he said cryptically. "You changed Bella and me because you were lonely and couldn't let love as powerful as ours die. You changed Emmett because Rosalie asked you to save him. You'll change Esme because you love her. But whenever we ask why you changed Rosalie, you say it was too much waste and occupy your mind with something else."

Rosalie's eyes darted to me. "He has a point," she said, surprising us all by siding with Edward. "Out of all the dying people you saw that year, why me?"

"Rose," Esme chided maternally.

"No, they're right," I decided. "I owe Rosalie an explanation. Bella, will you block my mind, please? No one should ever have to see the images attached to these memories." Edward sighed exaggeratedly, but said nothing, and I let the memories wash over me like a tsunami. Jasper's eyes were wide with shock as the floodgates to my long-suppressed sorrow opened fully.

"You all know, my mother died giving birth to me, but I never mentioned the sister born several minutes before me— my twin sister. She was named Lyla after our mother." I gave them all time to process my words.

"Why have you kept this from us for so long?" Bella asked softly.

"I wasn't strong enough to face it," I admitted, ashamed of my own weakness. "Growing up under our father's radical ideas and cruel methods, Lyla and I were as close as Edward and Alice are now— partners in crime with our own way of communicating secretly. We went behind our father's back and learned Spanish so even our lowest whispers wouldn't be understood. Even from miles away, I could sense if something was wrong with Lyla. One day, when we were fifteen, she had gone to the market for flour and spices. While I was at home a flicker of fear ran through my mind. I didn't think. I just ran toward the horror, disgust, pain, and shame emanating from my sister. By the time I found Lyla, her attacker was running into the woods, and she was unconscious. The back of her head was bleeding and her forearms were bruised.

"I carried Lyla almost a mile back to our house and took care of her injuries there. When I questioned her about the attack, she was reluctant to answer." I paused, staring into Esme's eyes. "Only once have I ever been more angry." I returned my gaze to the entire group. "She was my sister— my best friend— and a wealthy man's son had lured her into a darkened alley so he could take advantage of her. If Lyla hadn't been in poor condition, I would have hunted him down that very second, but she forced me to promise I would do nothing. She didn't want our father to know out of fear that he wouldn't believe her. I kept her secret. After a few weeks, though, she started having fainting spells and vomiting at random intervals. There was fear in her eyes when she told me she was pregnant.

"Our father's crusades against 'the devil and his servants' were known throughout London. Those who had been corrupted by evil were burnt for their sins. Lyla began to talk of running away. I promised to go with her, and we made plans to leave. The day before our departure, an elderly woman in our father's congregation recognized Lyla's illness for what it truly was and told him." A lump rose in my throat.

"We tried to explain what had happened, but just as Lyla feared our father didn't believe a word of it. She begged him to at least let her child have a chance at life. 'My baby has done nothing wrong,' she argued, but to no avail. Our father declared that the devil had taken Lyla as his own. As a lesson to ensure future obedience, I was forced to watch my sister burn. I felt the flames as if they were dancing across my flesh and not hers. Before the fire got too high, I had tried to free her. Four men much stronger than I had trouble dragging me away and holding me. Every time I tried to close my eyes or look away from Lyla's pyre, my father struck me. He said if I showed sympathy for Satan's followers, I would burn right along with them. By this time, the fire had fully engulfed Lyla's body. We screamed together while the flames consumed her and her unborn child."

Silence fell over the room, making the sound of Esme's heartbeat seem even louder. I listened to its thudding for an extended length of time, and no one spoke. No one moved.

"I reminded you of her, didn't I?" Rosalie asked, breaking the painful silence. I nodded slowly.

"When saw you lying on the sidewalk bleeding, wrists bruised, I was transported back to the day Lyla had been attacked. I lifted you off the ground, and you looked at me with eyes more blue than sapphires. Once upon a time, my eyes were as blue as yours had been, and so were Lyla's. By looks, you could easily have been the daughter she had imagined. Letting you die would have been like watching her die all over again. Watching your transformation, I remembered screaming with Lyla until my throat bled and my voice left. I felt the flames again, and wished they would burn me instead."

Rosalie stood abruptly and left the house with Emmett following soon after. My eyes fell to Esme, sitting next to me, and I realized she had not moved since my story had begun. "Esme," I whispered softly, placing a hand on her cheek.

"Take her to the bathroom," Alice said urgently. I ran with Esme in my arms to our bathroom. As soon as I sat her down, she leaned over the toilet and retched. I held her hair back from her face. A moment later, pale and shaking, Esme leaned back into me.

"What kind of man could watch his daughter being burnt alive and hit his son for looking away?" she asked rhetorically, horrified. "I could see it in my mind and hear the screaming. She was only fifteen?!" Every barrier I had erected to save me from breaking shattered as I truly allowed the image of Lyla's final moments to fill my mind. The flames burned brightly despite the inefficiency of the human eyes that had beheld this memory.

Tightness formed in my chest, constricting my throat against a ragged attempt at breathing. Esme twisted around to face me and pulled me into a tight embrace. I buried my face in her caramel hair, giving in to the dry sobs wracking my body. My eyes stung, frustrated by their inability to shed tears. A vampire's ability to cry was very limited; nevertheless, I cried as I had not done since the day I realized how selfish I had been to transform Rosalie, and truly saw how much she hated me for it.

 **Rosalie's POV**

A sister? A twin sister? That's why I was cursed to this life? My thoughts were bitter— well... more so than usual, at least. I slammed my fist into one of the many evergreens around me. It's tough bark gave beneath my fury, and the entire tree toppled onto the ground.

"Come here," Emmett said, trapping me in his iron embrace. "I know what you're thinking, babe, but even you can't hate him forever."

"Do you have to be the voice of reason right now?" I demanded, not really wanting an answer. "Anger and hatred are all I have left. I clung to them during my transformation. I relied on them when I tracked those men down and killed all them slowly, painfully. It is all I have left!"

"You have me, Rose," he reminded me. "Don't you love me?" I met his gaze with disbelief.

"You know I love you," I said, unsure of where he was going with this.

"Exactly, so anger and hate aren't the only things you have left. You have love: mine, Alice's, Bella's, Esme's. Jasper cares about you. I think I get why Carlisle suggested that the two of you pose as twins. Maybe, he hoped the two of you would be as close as he and Lyla were. Jasper had a hard time when he and Alice first joined our family, but you were the one who got through to him. I'll bet he loves you as a sister. It's kind of hard to tell because Jasper isn't very vocal with his feelings. Neither is Edward, but I'm pretty sure he loves you, too," Emmett said, his voice soft but adamant.

"And Carlisle?" I asked, noticing the one name he had left out.

"I thought that would be obvious," Emmett replied. "Carlisle may have bitten you because you reminded him of his sister, but he loves you for who you are. He really does see all of us as his children; and in his eyes, you're the beloved daughter he gained, not the twin sister he lost. I don't need Jasper's gift to know what I'm saying is true."

"Earlier, you said I couldn't hate him forever," I began uncertainly. "I don't hate Carlisle for what he did. I stopped actually hating him a few years after I found you. I was still resentful, or course, but now, after hearing about Lyla, and I can't even maintain a steady level of anger. Why did you have to be the voice of reason?" Again, I didn't really want an answer. Something deep inside me had been cut free, and I felt a substantial amount of the fury I had held onto for so many years glide away.

Without a word, I broke free of Emmett's arms and ran back to the house. Edward and Alice both pointed toward the stairs once I entered the living room. I slowed to a walk as I climbed, and then followed the sounds of crying to Carlisle's and Esme's bathroom. They were huddled together on the floor next to the shower. Carlisle's entire torso was shaking uncontrollably as Esme held him tightly. Neither one looked up when I entered the room. Slowly, I knelt next to them and wrapped my arms around Carlisle.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I whispered. Esme slipped an arm around my waist, keeping a tight hold on Carlisle with the other arm. I couldn't see Carlisle's face, but I could still feel his shock. I almost always referred to Esme as "Mom", but in eighty-five years I had never managed to call Carlisle "Dad". Like the Grinch who stole Christmas, I could feel my heart grow three sizes as one of those rare vampire-altering moments took place. "I love you!"


	25. Bachelor&Bachelorette Parties

_**Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties... Cullen Style**_

 _June 14, 2008: Esme's Bachelorette Party_

 **Esme's POV**

Tanya scrutinized the decorations for several minutes before smiling. "I must say, you've outdone yourself, Alice," she complimented. "Even though it looks nothing like any Bachelorette Party I've ever heard of."

"That's because it's a bridal shower," Alice clarified. Kate's eyebrows came together.

"What's the difference?" she asked, perplexed. I glanced quickly at her before turning my gaze back to the decorations.

"Bridal showers don't have male strippers," I replied bluntly. Disappointment colored the faces of the Denali sisters for a few seconds.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense," Kate conceded. "We are happily mated women, after all."

"Not to mention, more than a little biased," Rose added. I tried not to think of where her mind was at the moment. She seemed to sense my discomfort. "Come on, Esme. Once you see the man you love in his entirety, no one else looks near as good!"

"Oh, she knows," Alice said suggestively. "Esme's first visit to the island was almost a little too fun!" I blushed deep crimson and glared at her. My personal life was none of their business.

"You just focus on your own future," I ordered, not meeting her eyes.

"You're too old to be so embarrassed about sex," Irina reminded me. "There are teenagers who speak more openly about it than you." Tanya, Kate, and Carmen laughed.

"Yes, and those teenagers didn't grow up with my parents," I qualified. "I was very sheltered growing up; except for the weekends I spent with Vivian. She was the one who gave me 'the talk' because my mother refuses to even speak the word 'sex'."

"Are your parents coming to the wedding?" Carmen asked. I shook my head.

"They don't know anything about Carlisle, and I want to keep it that way." I sighed, putting a smile on my face as Alice clapped her hands together.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road," she announced. "For the record, there aren't any male strippers or crude games planned. However, we do have some interesting things on our agenda. Esme, Leah, there are refreshments on the back table." Alice froze, her eyes sliding out of focus for a few seconds. I waited nervously. When she came back to the present, a frustrated growl escaped her lips. "Jacob Black, if you come one step closer to this house, I'll make Emmett hold you down while I dye your hair hot pink!" A loud guffaw responded from close enough by for even me to hear.

"Wrong wolf," a voice replied. "It's Seth. I come bearing gifts and cake from Mom."

"You have five minutes," Alice told him menacingly. Seth came bounding into the house with a happy smile on his face. In his arms were two wrapped packages and a large, chocolate cake.

"Mom asked me to bring these by before my date with Marie. You know, if you still want to dye Jake's hair pink, I'll help Emmett hold him down! I wonder if that would affect the color of his fur in wolf form," he said, talking quickly.

"Tell Sue I said thank you," I said, grinning. "How is Marie?"

"She's been doing a lot better since the two of you talked," he replied. "Thank you, again, Esme. We'll see you tomorrow." With that, Seth waved one last goodbye, hugged Leah, and left.

"You know, if you'd settle for dying his hair a lavender color, I wouldn't argue," Leah told Alice earnestly. "I'm not much of a pink girl myself, and he's been getting on my nerves."

"I didn't know imprinted wolves could get on each other's nerves," I said with a small edge of sarcasm.

"I love Jake, but his overprotectiveness gets a little irritating," Leah admitted.

"Carlisle does it, too," I assured her. "I may be fragile, even for werewolf standards, but I'm not incompetent."

"It's a guy thing," Bella sighed. "When I was fighting Heidi, Edward kept trying to help me get rid of the bimbo, even though I was doing fine on my own."

"I think he just wanted to have a small part in the revenge. After all, Heidi did try to kill you," Rosalie reasoned. "Sometimes, you just have to humor them a little bit and get back at them indirectly. For instance, Esme, you're going to be the strongest of us all. Imagine the possibilities."

"Are you trying to use me for pay back?" I asked incredulously. "I am not going to help you settle the score with your husbands."

"Are you sure?" Rose asked, drawing out the last word. "Did you know our husbands forced Carlisle to sit through a vampire version of 'the talk' before the two of you hid out on the island?" My eyes widened.

"They did WHAT?!" I squeaked.

"They sat him down and had a nice long chat about it. Emmett couldn't stop laughing about having to give a 367 year old virgin vampire 'the talk'," Rose explained. The conversation was rapidly becoming a little too much for me to handle. Alice huffed.

"It's in fridge, top shelf on the left. Glasses are in the middle cabinet," she said sounding defeated. "I thought you didn't drink."

"Generally, I don't, but we all have our moments," I said, getting up and walking to the kitchen. Sure enough, a bottle of Moscato was sitting on the top shelf. I pulled it from the fridge and shut the door, then grabbed a wine glass from the middle cabinet.

"Well, well, well, we drove her to drink," Irina said, smirking. Instead of replying, I poured myself a glass. "Back to what we were just discussing, though; I could not imagine being alive for 367 years and not having a little fun at least once!"

I took a long drink from my glass. "Why don't we get to the presents before Esme downs the whole glass," Bella suggested.

"Thank you, Bella," I said fervently. "As for Carlisle, his father was more conservative than even my parents."

"We'll be nice to the poor guy," Tanya promised. "Besides, you'll be a vampire in another four days." I took another long drink, draining it.

"Actually, I'll be a vampire in a few weeks. We're going back to the island for our honeymoon first." I couldn't help but smile as I remembered a thought from the island. "Writhing in pain is no way for a girl to spend her wedding night." Alice looked warily from me to the bottle of wine as I poured another glass. The Denali women grinned suggestively. Only Leah seemed shocked.

"Isn't that dangerous?" she asked, concerned. "Vampires are extremely strong. You could end up writhing in pain anyway."

"With any other vampire, I imagine it would be dangerous," I allowed. "Carlisle has very strong self-control. I trust him."

"It's not unheard of for vampires to have physical relationships with humans. My sisters and I are solid proof," Kate said. "We began hunting animals to avoid killing our human lovers. It took a few centuries to perfect, but none of us have killed a human in over a hundred years."

"Succubus," Leah repeated under her breath.

"The original," Tanya, Kate, and Irina said simultaneously. They're voices were full of pride. Leah rolled her eyes. I noticed that her hands were shaking slightly.

"So, presents?" I asked, turning the conversation. Alice smiled and handed me the nearest box. I tore apart the wrapping paper to reveal a small clothing box. Inside, a leather corset stared up at me.

"Leather is a little more durable than lace," Alice explained. I took the corset out of the box for a closer look and noticed a mini-skirt beneath it. At first, I wasn't sure whether or not I was brave enough to wear a leather outfit. Soon, the possibilities began to flash through my mind, and I was suddenly very glad Edward wasn't around to hear my thoughts.

 _June 14, 2008: Carlisle's Bachelor Party_

 **Carlisle's POV**

"We're too close to the house again," Edward complained, and then groaned.

"Is Esme alright?" I asked, a tad bit frantic.

"She's fine. The outlook isn't good for the bottle of wine, though," he replied. I frowned. Esme didn't usually drink. "Don't worry. Alice won't let her have too much. They've just started opening presents. Let's get ten miles away now." A disgusted grimace took hold of his expression. "I didn't want to see that mental image!" Cringing, Edward ran at full speed away from the house.

"Was it the one from Alice?" Jasper asked when we finally caught up to Edward.

"Yes," he replied. Jasper chuckled. "I should have known that was your idea!"

"What was your idea?" I asked, wondering whether I should be happy or concerned.

"You'll see," Jasper said, still grinning. "Emmett and Rose helped me convince Alice to order one for Esme."

"Oh, it was that one," Emmett snickered. Instantly I was concerned. Edward rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure you'll love it," he said. "As a matter of fact, I wonder if Alice would get one of those for Bella, too." I was beginning to get irritated. What on Earth were they talking about? "I'd tell you, but Alice would kill me. Besides, I don't want you to be able to think about it until you're thousands of miles away from me!"

"I'm way ahead of you, bro," Jasper told Edward. "Alice included it in the gift bags for everyone who went to Esme's party, even Leah."

"Can we not talk about this mystery gift?" I requested. "You're only making me curious. I might start speculating in great detail." Horror flooded Edward's entire posture. "Just kidding. We need to get going anyway. We've been given permission to enter Quileute lands, but only for tonight. Billy invited us to his house."

"We've been heading that way the whole time, Carlisle," Edward pointed out. "I can hear Sam's thoughts. He, Jake, and four other wolves are waiting at the lines to escort us to Billy's."

Seconds later, the wolves were in view. All of them were in their human forms. "For the record, I trust you guys," Jake said, throwing a slightly annoyed glance at Sam.

"Don't worry, Jake," Edward said, calling him on some hidden fear. "The Denalis have followed the vegetarian lifestyle since before Carlisle's transformation. Leah will be fine."

"You let Leah be surrounded by vampires without any kind of back up," Sam said furiously. Jake bristled.

"It was her choice," he growled. "Besides, **I** will never take away someone's free will, especially hers." I stepped between the two of them.

"We should get to Billy's house before he gets worried," I told them. "Leah is perfectly safe at Esme's Bachelorette Party." Sam stepped back, and the other four wolves relaxed their tense stance.

"Okay," Jake said, smiling again. "These guys behind me are Quil Ateara V, Embry Call, Jared Cameron, and Paul Lahote." He grimaced at Paul's name, eliciting a laugh from the young man.

"Are you still mad about earlier?" he taunted. "You know I can't control it. None of us can."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!" Jake huffed. "He imprinted on my sister, Rachel. Anyway, guys, these are the Cullens. Well, half of them: Jasper, Edward, Emmett, and Carlisle."

"It's nice to meet you," I said conventionally, trying to be polite. Only the young one named Quil would shake my hand.

"Let's just get to Billy's," Sam said gruffly. I nodded, following him through the streets.

"Does your sister know everything now?" I asked Jake. He shook his head.

"Paul hasn't dropped the bombshell yet. She will be at the wedding, though." Paul tossed Jake an agitated glance; which he ignored. The rest of the walk was silent and uneventful. When at last we reached Billy's home, all of the wolves except for Jacob left.

"Thank you for inviting us," I told Billy. He shrugged.

"I wasn't sure what you Cullens did for Bachelor parties," he admitted. "Esme encouraged me to get to know you all, though— seeing as we're going to be family after tomorrow."

"Yeah, we figured a bonfire would probably send the wrong message, though," Jake added. I was immensely grateful for their foresight. Fire was one of my greatest fears. Oddly enough, my fear of fire had began before my human life ended— a by-product of watching Lyla burn.

"We usually hunt mountain lions and bears, but that can wait until the wee hours of the morning," Edward said casually, tossing me a sympathetic glance. Jake laughed.

"Sorry, I just had a mental image of one of the girls wrestling a bear," he said, still chuckling.

"I've seen Alice tackle a bear. The poor grizzly never stood a chance," Jasper said, an element of wonder to his tone. Jake laughed.

"I just can't imagine Aunt Esme taking down a bear. That I would love to see!"

"It will probably be a while before Esme does any bear hunting. Most of their caves can't be reached without passing through heavily populated areas on the way," I said, not sure how I felt about watching Esme wrestle with bears. Something akin to disgust crept into Billy's eyes, but he quickly tucked it away.

"So, out of curiosity, can vampires have kids?" Jake asked, not-so-subtly changing the subject.

I shook my head solemnly. "Our bodies are frozen in time, never changing." Knowing how Esme longed for a baby of her own, I hated the truth of my words. I hated taking the possibility away from her.

"How about that, Dad, you're the only one in the room who's getting any older!" Jake teased. Seeing my confused expression, he added, "It's a wolf thing. I went through a lot a growth spurts before phasing the first time. Physically, I'm about twenty-five, and I won't age unless I quit my wolf form."

"How would you quit?" Jasper asked.

"Why would you quit?" Emmett added half a second later.

"Quitting is definitely easier said than done. I'd have to give up phasing; which means some serious anger management on my part!" Jake replied.

"Why?" Emmett asked again. Jake allowed a small smile to touch his lips. He must have been thinking of Leah. Curiosity tugged at me. If werewolves were also frozen in time, was Leah unable to have children until she gave up her wolf form?

"No man should ever outlive his children," Jake replied simply. Billy looked at Jake warily. "Don't worry, Dad. It'll be another five to ten years before I have kids."

"So, you and Leah are being safe in the mean time?" Emmett asked jokingly.

"Very funny, hilarious," Jake said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Vampires aren't the only ones frozen in time, remember."

"It's interesting to see the subtle similarities between vampires and werewolves: conditional immortality; supernatural strength, speed, and senses," I mused. "The werewolf gene is passed on regardless of proximity to vampires, right?"

"The gene itself, yes," Billy replied reluctantly. "It was believed for many years that the gene would only awaken in males, but Leah disproved the theory when she phased for the first time. There's never been seven vampires in the area at once. The sheer numbers could have activated her wolf form."

"Maybe, but Leah, and Seth, inherited the wolf gene from all three lines," Jake countered. "Harry was a direct descendant of Amelia Ateara. And Sue has both the Black and Uley gene. I'm not sure either of them really stood a chance. Even one vampire passing through here would have activated it."

"If the gene does the same thing no matter which line it came from, why does it matter how many lines it came from?" Emmett asked, perplexed.

"Multiple lines reinforce the gene, but the Black line also has Alpha blood. Without my relation to Ephraim Black, I never could have defied Sam's orders when he told me to help the pack kill you," Jake explained. "Sam only has the Uley gene. He became Alpha because he was the first to phase when you guys moved to Forks. I was born to be Alpha, but I didn't want to be. I didn't really want any of it until I imprinted on Leah."

"Love really does make all the difference," I said, thinking of Esme. I was only hours away from marrying my first and only love. Edward laughed.

"Well, when you put it that way," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse me, who got married at seventeen before he and his bride had even graduated from high school?" I asked pointedly.

"Exactly, I married my 'first and only love' when I was seventeen, not 367!" he retorted. Emmett let out a loud guffaw. "Good thing, too, seeing as we died a week later."

"That'll put a damper on the honeymoon," Jake chuckled. Billy tried to hide his laughter behind a cough, but it was loud and clear to me.

"You were never married as a human?" he asked.

"No," I replied. "I never thought much about marriage during my human life, to tell the truth."

"How old were you when your transformation happened?" Jake asked. "What year was it?"

"I was twenty-three, and the year was 1663."

Edward began laughing, almost hysterically, at whatever Jake was thinking. "Wow! You're a full century older than America. What about the others?" Jake seemed to be glad to think up new questions.

"Bella and I were both seventeen," Edward replied. "We were dying of the Spanish Influenza in 1918."

"I was changed in 1935 at the age of twenty," Emmett said grinning. "Rose found me in a Tennessee forest being mauled by a bear. She was changed two years earlier at 18."

"So, the two of you were originally born the same year?" Jake wondered aloud. Emmett nodded.

"Yep. I'm still exacting my revenge on the bear population, even though Rosalie and vampirism are the best things that ever happened to me," he added.

"Ah, sweet irony," Jake commented. "So, what about you and Alice?" Jake was looking at Jasper.

"I was transformed in 1863," he replied. "I was nineteen and a Major in the Confederate Army when I became a vampire. Alice was 19 when she was transformed in 1920. She can't remember her human life at all."

"Nothing?" Billy asked, looking slightly concerned.

"She vaguely knew her name was Alice, but other than that everything was gone. A few months ago, we came across a vampire who recognized her. He gave us a small idea, and we did a little research. Her full name was Mary Alice Brandon. She was born in Mississippi— lived in Biloxi most of her life."

"It must be strange to see into your future, but remember nothing of your past," Billy whispered. "Will Esme remember her human life?"

"Yes, some memories will fade with time, but the ones we focus on never leave us. It's a gift and a curse. The things we see through our human eyes are clouded and unfocused compared to a vampire's sight. Likewise, the things our human ears hear are imperfect. Sometimes, the memories can be irritating to replay, but I'm sure Esme will have quite a few to cement into her mind," I replied. A part of me sincerely hoped Esme would be able to completely forget about Dale. I had swore many months ago to erase everything he had done to her, and I was going to stay true to my word.

"That's good. I just hope Esme doesn't forget too much about her sister," Billy sighed.

"Esme would never forget Vivian. No amount of time will erase memories of a beloved sister," I assured him. I knew firsthand that we never forget the ones who leave us before their time. An image of Lyla burst into my mind.

"Speaking from experience?" he asked. The memory of Lyla's burning surfaced in full force, and once again I could feel the flames. Edward's eyes locked with mine as he read my thoughts.

"Yes," I whispered. It had taken me 3½ centuries to tell anyone about Lyla, and I wasn't sure I could tell the story again.

"Repressing your pain won't make it go away," Jasper said, low enough to keep Billy from hearing.

"What happened?" Jake asked softly. He was looking from me to Jasper, having heard what Jasper said. My eyes darted to the front door. I didn't want to think about this. In my mind, I heard Lyla's screams. I heard her beg— offer to be locked in a cell for nine months if only her child could live.

"Her name was Lyla. She was my twin sister, my best friend, but she died when we were fifteen," I replied, allowing them to make their own conclusions about her death.

"Does Aunt Esme know?" Jake asked. His eyes showed sympathy.

"Esme knows almost everything about me," I replied, focusing solely on Esme in my mind. Slowly, Lyla's screams faded away, replaced by Esme's smile and her soothing voice.

"Do you mind me asking what she doesn't know?" Billy countered. He was very straightforward when he wanted to be.

"The things Esme doesn't know have more to do with vampirism in general than they do with me," I said, sounding unintentionally cryptic. "Some things are meant to be a surprise for her."

"Like what?" Billy prompted. "I want to know what surprises you have up your sleeves."

"Your suspicion is unnecessary," I assured him. "The transformation from human to vampire involves many changes. Any scars you received during your human life fade entirely,

meaning all of the scars Esme is so self-conscious about will be gone when she opens her eyes for the first time as a vampire." Billy's eyes widened with shock for a few seconds.

"I may not be very happy about Esme becoming a vampire, but I'm glad for that. Without the scars, she might be able to forget the one who caused them," Billy said, truly smiling for the first time since our arrival.

"I certainly hope so," I said with feeling.

"I have a question," Jake said suddenly.

"You always have a question," Billy said, amused by his son's curiosity. Jake narrowed his eyes momentarily.

"As I was trying to say: if your scars go away when you become a vampire, why is Jasper covered in them?" Jake asked. Jasper laughed without humor.

"I got these scars after my transformation. Our venom is the only thing that leaves a scar. I fought in the Southern Coven Wars for eighty years before I left my creator. Then, I wandered around for about a decade before I met Alice in a Philadelphia diner."

"By the sounds of it, Edward and Emmett got the easy road," Jake mused. Emmett cocked his head to the side, a little confused, while Edward rolled his eyes. "Well, Carlisle and Jasper had to wait a long time for Aunt Esme and Alice. I couldn't imagine waiting a hundred years to find Leah."

I smiled, thinking of all the years ahead of me rather than the many years behind me. "A future with Esme is worth the centuries of waiting. What do a few centuries matter in the face of eternity?"

"Good point," Jake grinned and then yawned. "I hate to kick you guys out, but it's almost two in the morning. Aunt Esme will kick my butt if I fall asleep in the middle of walking her down the aisle. I'll walk you back to the boundary line."

"See you all later," Billy said. "Enjoy your hunt." His voice seemed a little strained, as if he were unsure of what to say. I shook his hand.

"Thank you for inviting us over," I said sincerely. Emmett, Edward, and Jasper waved, smiling happily. We followed Jake out into the night air. A light breeze played with the trees, creating the only sound. When we reached the boundary line, I thanked Jake again.

Emmett's eyes lit up as soon as we entered the woods. "Alright, we have eight hours before Alice wants us back. Let's get this party started!" he said excitedly, and then shot off through the trees, tackling the first deer to cross his path. Edward and I canvassed the area to be sure there were no humans around before joining in ourselves. Allowing my instinct to take over, I threw myself into the hunt, and happily imagined the day when Esme could join me.


	26. Lost in this Moment

_**Dum Dum Da-Dum**_

 **Esme's POV**

I was in the middle of speaking to Vivian when Alice woke me. Slowly, the room came into focus. "Finally," she huffed. "I've been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes. You're not usually so difficult in the mornings."

I yawned, stretching to awaken to rest of my body. "I'm not usually in the middle of a dream when I wake up," I countered, glancing at the clock.

"What were you dreaming about?" she asked casually. I sat up, trying to remember the details.

"I was talking to my sister, Vivian. I've been dreaming about her a lot lately. We talk about Billy, Jake, and Carlisle mostly," I replied. Alice glanced at me warily. "I'm not crazy. It's just wishful thinking."

"Maybe, if you focus, you'll be able to picture her there," Alice suggested. "I'll make sure there's an open seat next to Billy." I stood and hugged my daughter for her support.

"Don't forget to leave a space for Lyla, too," I said softly. Alice nodded absently, her eyes glazed over for a few seconds. She shook her head, smiling wryly, and pushed me into a corner of the room before opening a window. A small rock landed in the middle of the room with a thud. Attached to it was a small note.

 _Set her next to Vivian. I love you, Mrs. Cullen._

 _Love, Carlisle_

I smiled, my heart fluttering at the sight of my soon-to-be title. Mrs. Cullen. I could get used to that. Alice chuckled once, and then her expression darkened. She snapped the window shut again, glaring down at the back yard.

"Don't even think about it, Carlisle!" she ordered. Shaking her head and muttering darkly, she continued, "For crying out loud. He should know better than trying to jump through a window. Too many years with Emmett!"

I laughed quietly at her annoyance. "Alice, I know you don't really need to, but breathe! You are the most talented wedding planner in the world. Once I get out of the shower, you will have free rein over my hair and make up. Relax, or else I'm going to start panicking, and no one likes a cranky bride."

Alice took a deep exaggerated breath. "Okay, I'm calm. Take your shower. We'll do hair and make up at the church."


	27. Private Island for Two Reprise

_**Private Island for Two Reprise**_

 **Esme's POV**

Despite the time we had spent there before the wedding, the island still took my breath away. Sweet anticipation sang through my veins as Carlisle carried me and our bags over the threshold and straight to the bedroom. A shiver of pleasure ran through me at the memory of Carlisle's perfect body poised about mine and the knowledge that it wouldn't end there this time.

Carlisle sat our luggage on the bed before lowering me onto my feet. My stomach grumbled. I had been too distracted to eat on any of the plane rides. Carlisle chuckled.

"Would you like me to fix something for you to eat?" he asked. My first thought was a very profound 'No', but the idea of having a little bit of alone time to wash away the trip was tempting. I could also take a look through the suitcase I had left on the island after our other visit.

"I could probably use the energy boost," I admitted. A nervous smile played on his lips until I kissed it away. The feel of his lips made my head spin and my heart race, but I pulled myself away. A minute or so passed before our breathing returned to normal.

"What would you like?" Carlisle asked, reminding me of his offer to cook. I thought about it for a moment. Something simple would be best. He seemed to sense my indecision. "I'll just surprise you."

"Okay," I allowed. Carlisle lowered his lips to mine again for a fraction of a second and then headed to the kitchen. I shook my head, grinning, and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind me but not bothering to lock it. The shower sprang to life with the simple turning of a few knobs. I quickly stripped and stepped into the torrent of warm water. The familiar routine of washing and shaving was relaxing.

Once I finished my shower, I wrapped a towel around my body and went to the suitcase with a cursory glance out the window at the setting sun. Turning my attention back to the suitcase, I began to sift through the multitude of laces and silks. The zipped, mesh compartment contained bottles of many different sizes. I searched through them out of sheer curiosity. Most of them were massage oils. One caught my eyes, eliciting a giggle when I read the label: _Baby Oil— outside toy, post-transformation only!_ After that, I went back to searching through the lingerie.

In the end, I decided on a deep purple, lacy corset and matching, bikini-style panties. Over the skimpy ensemble, I put on a floor-length, black, silk robe before joining Carlisle in the kitchen. The smell of steak, mashed potatoes, and corn greeted me. Carlisle pulled a chair out for me at the table. "Thank you," I said with feeling.

"Your welcome, darling," he replied politely. I took a bite of steak, marveling again at the culinary skills of a man who didn't eat human food. The meat was cooked to perfection. While I ate, Carlisle put away the extra food. By the time my plate was empty, I was pleasantly full. I rinsed my dish in the sink. On the table was another plate that hadn't been there before sitting next to a bowl of whipped cream. Three strawberries dipped in chocolate were arranged in a triangle on the plate. Carlisle picked one up, dipped it in the whipped cream, and walked toward me. I opened my mouth and bit into the strawberry, the whipped cream and chocolate shell melting almost instantly. Another shiver of pleasure ran down my spine. I swallowed the strawberry and stretched up to kiss my husband. Our lips molded together with passion, and I climbed up his body, wrapping my legs around his waist for a better hold. Carlisle's cool fingers traced fiery patterns on my back as he held me close to him. I untied the black robe and shrugged it off, letting it fall to the ground. A sharp intake of breath told me Carlisle had seen the little outfit beneath it. My back met the hard kitchen table a second later while his lips danced along my neck.

Without warning we rolled. Carlisle's hands found the tiny clasps at the back of the corset and began undoing them slowly. While he did this, I took my turn at planting the tantalizing kisses. My lips hunted along his jaw line to his ear lobe. I cautiously grazed it with my teeth and was rewarded with the sound of cloth being torn. Then, I was under him again. His tongue swept between my breasts, eliciting a low moan. My fingers found the buttons on his shirt and undid them quickly. I pulled my body closer to Carlisle's so that his chest was against mine— ice meeting fire. Aching desire spread through my body, consuming my senses. The rest of our clothing shed away at a pace so slow it was maddening. I could feel Carlisle's arousal pressed against me as his hands roamed across my body.

"Stop taunting me!" I begged, panting and stroking his erection. A combination of a growl, purr, and moan escaped Carlisle, and his hold on my waist tightened. I pushed the boxers from his hips, and then locked my legs loosely around him. A cry of pure ecstasy sprang from my lips as he entered me slowly. Every little movement was carefully calculated and gentle, proving just how much he feared hurting me.

"You feel like—" Carlisle began, but he cut of with a moan after I grazed his ear again. Each thrust gained a little more speed, adding to the ocean of pleasure about to overtake me. Involuntarily, my nails raked down his back. They had no visible effect over Carlisle's marble skin; nevertheless, his arms constricted around me, and I was pulled under. My back arched, pressing my body more firmly against his, while I basked in the feel of him.

With one final creak of protest the table split in half beneath us. Miraculously, I landed on top of Carlisle, with the jolt separating us. Whipped cream from the shattered bowl splattered all over our bodies. I swept my tongue across a patch of the sweet stuff near Carlisle's neck. He stood with me in his arms and carried me to the shower.

"I could just lick it off," I told him bluntly, my voice husky.

"As wonderful as that sounds, not all of it is whipped cream, darling," he replied just as bluntly. His tone was sexy, even with the edge of sheepishness. Carlisle put me down once were inside the shower and immediately grabbed the body wash. The warm water and soap made our bodies pleasantly slick as it washed both white, sticky substances away from our bodies. Within

seconds, I once again became aware of nothing but the feel of Carlisle's hands sliding across my skin and the pressure of his lips against mine. Being lost had never felt so good!

The sun shone brightly through the wall of windows, sharing its overpowering warmth with the world. I stretched— an action greatly protested by most of my body. A few joints popped as I extended my arms above my head. Finally, I opened my eyes to find Carlisle watching me with a guilty smile on his lips. I rested a hand on his chest and let the memories flood back to me. My long nails had been filed all the way to the tips of my fingers when they had traveled up and down Carlisle's back.

"You look like the cat that got caught with his paw in the fish bowl," I mused and pressed my lips to his shoulder.

Without a word, Carlisle gestured around the room. I looked around, confused by his silence. The gossamer fabric of the canopy had been completely destroyed. The bed frame's solid oak legs had collapsed. A trail of similar destruction led to the bathroom where pieces of the shower littered the floor. Idly, I wondered whether the shower had been before or after the bed. And, for that matter, when had the bed collapsed?

"I think we might have to switch rooms," I giggled.

"You're not angry with me?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course not," I replied, confused. "Why would I be angry?"

"Almost every room in the house has something broken in it," he admitted. For the first time since I awoke, I realized just how much traveling we had done the night before.

"What time is it?" I asked suddenly. Outside, the sun was already low in the sky.

"Nearly six o'clock in the afternoon," Carlisle replied promptly. "You slept for nine hours." My eyes widened and more memories of last night resurfaced: kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, livingroom, and back to the bedroom. Why had we gone to the livingroom?

"So, what all is broken?" I asked with a mischievous grin.

"Bed, shower, sink top, kitchen table, couch, and coffee table," Carlisle listed offhandedly. "The love seat and the recliner are slightly damaged but it's barely noticeable. The other bedroom and the attic are the only rooms we left alone."

"Well, we'll just have to amend that, won't we?" I asked with feigned innocence. Carlisle matched my mischievous grin with one of his own and kissed me thoroughly.

"I suppose we will," he agreed and carried me off to the blue room.


	28. Crazy Dreams, Sheer Bliss, & Nausea

_**Crazy Dreams, Sheer Bliss, and Overpowering Nausea— in that Order!**_

 **Esme's POV**

I barely noticed Carlisle's arms around me as my exhaustion finally caught up to me. My mind welcomed the darkness after a day of bright sun and blue skies.

 _I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep when I opened my eyes to a new sight. Vivian smiled at me, shaking my shoulder. "Wake up, sleepy head," she laughed. "You have a visitor."_

 _"Who is it?" I asked sleepily, knowing that I must have been dreaming. Vivian could only visit me in my dreams. I waited for an answer, but Vivian said nothing. Instead, she waved a familiar-looking young girl into the room. Her hair was waist-length and wavy, the blond locks glinting in the sun. Her sapphire blue eyes smiled kindly._

 _"Hello, Esme," she said with a very pronounced English accent. "My name is Lyla Cullen." My eyes flew wide open. Slowly, I took in the sight of her slight baby bump and singed clothing._

 _"Carlisle's sister?" I breathed incredulously. "I saw you at our wedding." She nodded, leaning down to hug me tightly. "How is that possible?"_

 _"Now is not the time for that question. I always hoped Carlisle would find a wife. He was so lonely," she said, tears gliding down her cheeks as she gazed at the sleeping man next to me. Carlisle's blond hair was slightly tousled, and an edge of panic sliced through me. I began to wonder why they weren't worried, but Lyla just continued on. "I've been watching over him for many years now."_

 _"What's happened to him?" I asked frantically._

 _"When you are awake with Carlisle, you're asleep here," Vivian explained. "Carlisle is always awake on Earth; likewise, he's always asleep here." My fears faded away. Her words made a little bit of sense._

 _"I met Lyla while you and Carlisle were in the boat on your way to Isle Esme for the first time. We decided to visit the wedding, and then speak to you here. Neither of us was going to watch the honeymoon scenes, so we got to talking," Vivian said happily. "I told Lyla that I visited your dreams every now and then and she asked if she could tag along."_

 _"My imagination must be getting better if I can dream up the both of you," I commented. Lyla and Vivian smiled at each other._

 _"This isn't your imagination, or even wishful thinking," Lyla said, laughing as if it were silly to think they were reaching out from the afterlife to speak to me. "Sometimes, those who die before their time get the opportunity to visit with the ones they left behind through dreams, or in times of great stress."_

 _"I'm glad you visited," I said to the young girl. "I can't wait to tell Carlisle about—"_

 _"You can't tell Carlisle you've seen me again," she said urgently. "Not yet anyway. You must wait for the right moment, and trust me you'll know when it comes. Truth be told, it won't be long." Her smiling eyes were still leaking tears._

 _"What could possibly change enough to make 'soon' a better time than 'now'?" I asked, struggling with the idea of keeping secrets from Carlisle._

 _"You will know," she assured me._

 _"Okay," I conceded. Vivian and Lyla kept smiling at me. "Can I just have a little hint?" They shook their heads. "All right, could you at least tell me a little more about yourself, Lyla?"_

 _"There isn't much to tell," she said, sitting on the bed next to me. "Carlisle told you the main story. Part of me still can't believe it took him so long to tell anyone about me. He took my death a lot harder than I thought. When Aro first read his thoughts, Carlisle practically begged him not to mention me."_

 _"I can see how Rosalie reminded him of you," I said. Lyla seemed unsure of how to respond to my words. "The two of you do look a bit alike." Understanding dawned on her._

 _"I suppose," she allowed. "I was angry at her for hating him. Then again, I was angry at him for refusing to talk about me—angry because he kept blaming himself for being unable to save me. The stunt he pulled, trying to untie me, nearly got him killed. Some members of the congregation wanted to see him burn, too, but our father argued that Carlisle didn't understand. Watching me burn would make him understand. In truth, Father didn't have the strength to sentence us both to death._

 _"My begging almost changed his mind. I volunteered to be imprisoned until my child was born, but Father refused. He didn't want to give me any opportunities to escape, even though I swore I wouldn't. I told him, 'I don't care what happens to me, so long as my baby lives,' but he wouldn't listen."_

 _"How can you speak so calmly about your death?" I asked, stunned. Lyla had maintained an even, matter-of-fact tone throughout our entire conversation._

 _"I came to terms with what happened to me a long time ago," she replied simply. "I was angry at my father for many years, but I let it go when Carlisle became a vampire."_

 _"Death can be peaceful once you let go of your anger, regrets, and fears," Vivian said. "It makes me a little sad to think of all the things I'm missing, but I get to watch over you all. I was upset when Jake became a werewolf, but then he and Leah imprinted on each other. The day of your bachelorette party, Paul imprinted on Rachel, and it warmed my heart to know that my kids would have such powerful love in their lives."_

 _"I'm happy for them, too," I said, remembering the way Jake and Leah looked at each other, and the way Paul looked at Rachel. "Carlisle's children-of-sorts have a lot of love in their hearts as well."_

 _Lyla giggled. "The six of them have given me quite a few laughs, especially Emmett," she said. "When you go back to Forks, thank them for me. They've helped Carlisle so much."_

 _"I will," I promised, yawning._

 _"There's something I need to tell you before you fall asleep here and wake up next to Carlisle," Lyla said urgently. "You're going to do something that will hurt him, but you have to do it. He'll be happier than ever if you do. Hurting him is the only way. He'll be scared, but you mustn't let him give up hope."_

 _"Why would I hurt Carlisle?" I asked, confused. "I love him. Please, don't ask me to purposefully cause him pain!"_

 _"I know you love him, but you'll see why," she said, stressing her words. "Please, just trust me. When the time comes, tell him I love him." A strong wave of lethargy swept over me, followed by wakefulness._

Slowly, I blinked away the sleep in my eyes, staring at the pale, blond-haired figure next to me. However, when I finally opened my eyes, Lyla was nowhere to be seen. I was back on the island with Carlisle.

 **Carlisle's POV**

Esme woke after ten hours of fitful sleep. She had tossed and turned almost the entire time. I stared, slightly amused, as she stretched and yawned. "Where did they go?" she asked, glancing around the room.

"That depends," I said. "Who are you looking for?" She sat up, looking a little dazed.

"No one, I guess," she said, smiling wearily at me. "I had a really strange dream. Is it morning already?"

"Actually, it's about two in the afternoon," I replied. "What did you dream about?"

"Vivian," she said with a sigh. "Is it really almost two?"

"You slept for quite a while," I chuckled.

As if to agree, her stomach rumbled loudly. "It's just going to have to be quiet because I don't think I could get out of bed if I tried." I laughed at her exasperation, kissing her forehead.

"I'll bring you something to eat." Esme tried to complain when I slid off the mattress, but I walked straight to the kitchen anyway. Potatoes and eggs seemed like a safe bet. I threw the ingredients into a frying pan, paying more attention to Esme's heartbeat in the other room than the food in front of me.

Minutes later, I carried a plate of potatoes and eggs, one glass of water, one fork, and three strawberries to Esme on a small tray with legs. "You spoil me," she accused playfully, picking up her fork. I feigned offense.

"I'm not spoiling you. I'm just taking responsibility for my actions," I said innocently, not bothering to hide the mischief in my eyes. "After all, it is my fault you're too tired to get out of bed!"

Esme laughed under her breath. "I guess you have a point," she allowed, taking a bite of eggs. I watched as Esme finished eating her food in silence. When the plate was empty and the strawberries were gone, I took the tray back to the kitchen.

Esme was in the bathroom when I returned. A new scent hung in the air between an open box on the floor and the bathroom. I knew I had come across it before, but I didn't quite recognize the smell. Inside the bathroom, Esme seemed to be pulling on a zipper. Seconds later, she emerged.

Raw desire burned through my body. Leather. The strange scent had been leather. The front of her corset was v-necked, held together by ribbon laces, and very tight-fitting. Her mini-skirt was also tight leather, zipping up on the left side.

A shy smile played on Esme's lips. She obviously wasn't used to wearing leather. This must have been the present Edward hadn't wanted me to know about until I was thousands of miles away from him. Slowly, I walked toward her, fighting the urge to run forward and rip the leather outfit from her body. It hugged every curve, lusciously enhancing them all.

I floated down from my high slowly, holding Esme tightly against me as triumph joined the prideful satisfaction that always followed making love to my wife. Finally, after three full weeks of careful concentration and practice, I had managed to abstain from breaking the furniture. I would need to hunt soon, though. The wild animals on the island were mostly exotic birds and reptiles. I would have to hunt in the jungles of the mainland, but I was loath to leave Esme alone long enough to hunt.

I pulled the satin sheets over myself and Esme who had cuddled up close to my side. She surveyed the room carefully, especially the furniture before grinning ear to ear. "Nothing's broken!" I kissed her smiling lips softly for a few seconds, and then gazed into her eyes. "You need to hunt," she said, putting some distance between us. I sighed, pulling against my chest once again.

"I'm still in control," I assured her.

"I trust you, Carlisle," she reminded me. "There's no point in being uncomfortable, though. I don't want to cause you pain."

"I've gone longer than this without hunting, darling," I argued, silently hoping I could talk my way out of it.

"When you were trying to starve yourself to death," she countered.

"I promise, I'll go in the morning," I conceded.

"Thank you." Esme pressed her lips to the base of my neck. "It'll be nice when I can just go hunting with you."

"Yes, it will," I agreed whole-heartedly. "When do you want to go back?" Esme bit her bottom lip, a small hint of reluctance in her eyes.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I'd like to be back before the seventeenth. I want to see what Edward has planned for his and Bella's ninetieth anniversary. As long as I'm not writhing in pain that day, anytime this summer is fine."

I counted up the days we had spent on the island. "We could always head back in five or six days, spend a little time with the kids, and then begin the transformation on the thirteenth."

"Okay," Esme said. She began to yawn, but it caught in her throat, and she clapped a hand across her mouth. Esme ran to the bathroom, and I heard the unmistakable sound of vomiting. I flitted to the door and turned the handle, but it was locked.

"If you're locking me out because you don't want me to see you throwing up, I will happily break the doorknob instead," I told her calmly.

"Go away," she insisted. I chuckled slightly and twisted the knob against its will. Another round of bile cut off Esme's protest. I kneeled next to her and gently pulled her hair back. Once she had finished, Esme pushed herself away from the toilet to lean against the bathtub. "Just once, I wish you'd listen when I tell you to go away."

"Getting rid of me will never be that easy," I warned her. "I love you, Esme, in sickness and in health."

"Go hunt," she said in the same tone she used with the kids— the one that said I had better obey or there would be trouble.

"I am not leaving you while you're sick," I told her firmly.

"It's probably just stomach flu or something I ate. Either way, there's nothing you can do. You might as well go to the mainland and hunt," she reasoned. I opened my mouth to argue some more, but she interjected, "GO!"

"If you can make it one hour without throwing up again, I will go to the mainland and hunt," I conceded. Esme nodded in agreement and rested her head against my chest to wait out the hour.


	29. Jungle Cats and a Genetics Lesson

_**Jungle Cats and a Lesson in Genetics**_

 **Carlisle's POV**

I was reluctant to leave Esme, especially when she wasn't feeling well, but I had promised. Besides, I hadn't gone so long without hunting since shortly after my transformation. My eyes were a glistening onyx above deep purple shadows.

"Go," Esme urged when I turned around once more. I darted back to her and kissed my beautiful bride thoroughly. Again, I summoned the will to make it to the mainland and hunt.

"I love you, Mrs. Cullen." Her scent burnt a path down my throat. Before my mind could focus too intently on her honeysuckle and sunshine fragrance, I walked briskly to the dock. The speed of the boat cleared my head instantly while I watched eagerly for the mainland. The jungle had many kinds of exotic animals. The great cats tasted the best, as I was reminded upon my last visit. The trip was quick, mostly due to my eagerness to return as soon as possible.

I scanned the area carefully to make sure no humans were around before letting my instincts take over. Within minutes, I had taken down a passing jaguar and decided they tasted much better than mountain lions. Three more came along. I drained each of them, more than ready to go back to the island. The sound of running broke into my mind. I slipped into a defensive crouch as two vampires came into view. The female looked at me with wide, crimson eyes. She stepped in front of the male protectively. Slowly, I lifted my arms, palms forward.

"I mean you no harm. I have finished my hunt," I said cautiously. The male said something to his companion in a low whisper. The language was clearly not English, and I wondered if they had understood me.

"You are not a half-ling. What is wrong with your eyes?" the woman asked, her head cocked to the side. This was a question I had been asked many times in my many years as a vampire.

"I hunt animals instead of humans. Because of this choice, my eyes are gold," I explained. "My name is Carlisle Cullen. Might I learn your names as well?"

"I am Huilen. This is my nephew, Nahuel," the woman introduced. Nahuel watched me with a small sadness in his warm, brown eyes. Their color was close to what Bella's had been when she was human. A small smile touched my lips.

"It is not often I get to turn the question about my eyes to someone else, but I have never seen a vampire with brown eyes," I said. Huilen gave me a wary glance before nodding to Nahuel.

"I am only half vampire, on my father's side," he told me. Half vampire?!

"Impossible," I whispered, unable to stop the word.

"My sister, Pire, bore Nahuel a century and a half ago. She was very beautiful, and by night she was visited by a Libishomen— as vampires were called in our legends. She thought he was an angel. I ran away with her when she realized his child was growing inside of her. Our people would have destroyed them both. We searched for the Libishomen, but never found him. Within days, Pire was too weak to continue. I did the hunting. She did not want the animals cooked, preferring to drink their blood. I was frightened of the monster growing inside her, but Pire loved him. She gave him the name Nahuel. Even when he broke her bones, she loved him. Only eleven days passed from the time we ran away when the child ripped his way out of her body.

"Before she died, Pire begged me to take care of Nahuel. I couldn't save her life as I had hoped to, so I promised to watch over him. As I lifted him away from her, Nahuel bit me. The fire raging in my veins was terrible. When the pain finally subsided, he was curled next to me, asleep." Huilen finished her story with an affectionate glance at her nephew.

"Incredible," I murmured, still in awe of such a possibility. "Though, I have no idea how she could have survived so many months of broken bones in order to give birth."

"The pregnancy only lasted eleven days after we discovered the symptoms," Huilen said. My eyes widened even further in fascination.

"How long before you were fully grown, Nahuel?" I asked.

"Seven years, give or take a year," he replied. "I haven't noticed any change since then, either."

"And you are venomous?" I asked. Nahuel nodded.

"My sisters aren't, though. My father, Joham, has three daughters. I am his only son. He fancies himself a scientist," he said, bitter disgust etched clearly into every word. "He might as well drain the blood from his lovers. Instead, he sentences the women he impregnates to a slow and painful death." His words ripped the fascination from my mind and left panic in their place.

"Huilen, what were your sister's symptoms when she first learned she was pregnant?" I asked urgently as horror leaked into every cell of my body.

"She began to eat more than usual and have nightmares then the sickness set in. She could barely keep anything down," Huilen answered, confused by my expression. I crumpled to the ground and prayed my fears were unnecessary.

"Esme," I groaned. A sharp defiance rose in me. "Thank you for sharing your story, but I must leave now. I have made a terrible mistake." Without waiting for a reply, I ran back to the boat. Once I reached maximum speed, the boat did not decelerate until the island came into view. I tied the boat haphazardly to the dock and sprinted to the house. Esme wasn't in the living room. I went to the bedroom, noticing the bathroom door open as soon as I entered. Esme was curled up on the floor next to the toilet. The smell of vomit was still in the air.

"Esme!" I exclaimed, a frantic edge in my tone. I dropped to the floor next to her, checking her temperature and pulse. Terror flooded through me. Just last night, Esme had tossed and turned in the grip of a nightmare. For the past couple of days, she had been eating more than usual, and seemed to have a taste for shrimp; which she usually ate sparingly. I had told myself it was the island— being surrounded by water was increasing her appetite for seafood. In reality, I had killed her. Our love had created a child who would break her bones and tear her body apart to escape the womb. "What have I done?"


	30. With Arms Wide Open

_**With Arms Wide Open**_

 **Esme's POV**

My stomach churned uncomfortably. Leave it to Mother Nature to ruin the last few days of my honeymoon. Giving up on any form of rest, I went to the kitchen for a glass of water and a pack of saltine crackers— my cure for the common upset stomach— and began cursing the shrimp fajitas I had eaten last night. Usually, spicy food was my best friend. My philosophy was, "The hotter the better!"

Waves of nausea flooded back at the thought of real food, causing my stomach to flip. I had barely made it to the sink when I became violently sick. Shakily, I rinsed my mouth, and then made my way to the bathroom. I threw up three more times before my stomach settled again.

Outside the bathroom, I heard the bedroom door open and close again. "Esme!" Carlisle called frantically when he saw me. I hadn't bothered to shut the bathroom door behind me. His eyes were wide and frenzied. "What have I done?" The words were so soft I barely caught them. His cool hands were trembling as he felt my forehead and checked my pulse.

"It's just an upset stomach, Carlisle," I assured him. The edge of panic remained in his eyes.

"Maybe not," he groaned. A new emotion played about his features: self-loathing.

"Sweetie, you're scaring me," I said honestly. "Why do I feel like I should hide the matches?" The question was meant to make him laugh, even just a little bit; however, part of me got the impression he was already burning.

"What day did your last menstrual cycle begin?" he asked, ignoring my attempt at humor. I counted back, trying to think past my confusion.

"June 3rd, twelve days before the wedding," I replied after a few moments. Pain darted across his features.

"Today is July 7th," Carlisle mumbled. Finally, I understood what he was saying. Impossible. I couldn't be pregnant. As if to contradict my thoughts, I felt a small nudge in my abdomen. My hand instantly flew toward the movement. "After I finished hunting, I stumbled across a vampire named Huilen, and her half-vampire nephew Nahuel. Nahuel's father is a vampire, but his mother was human."

"Was," I repeated, bringing my other hand to rest on my stomach. Another little kick hit my hand, bringing tears of joy to my eyes, and in that moment I didn't care about my own health. Carlisle misread them, though.

"Are you in any pain?" he asked. His voice was frantic again. I smiled brightly, shaking my head.

"I think I just felt something move," I replied wondrously. My voice was no more than a whisper. "This must be what she was talking about, but how did she know? How did they know?" I roughly remembered the dream in which Lyla had told me I would hurt Carlisle, but it would make him happier in the long run. "Part of me always hoped I would have another chance." I held my stomach, still full of pure bliss. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, my sweet baby."

 **Carlisle's POV**

Agony gripped my silent heart. If I forced Esme to go through with an abortion, she would never forgive me. I would be the second husband to kill her child before he or she had the chance to live. But if I saved the baby, I would lose Esme. I watched helplessly while she talked to the slight bump in her abdomen, promising to protect it. Even when my cell phone vibrated a few minutes later, it took all of my will power to move.

"Hello, Alice," I said, my voice strained, after checking the caller ID.

"Is everything okay on the island? I can't see Esme at all. Is she thinking about spending time with Jake because that might explain why she blurred right out of my vision? If she is, could you ask her to stop because the way she blurred out didn't seem to be a good sign at all," Alice trilled anxiously at top speed.

"We're coming home, now," I told her and snapped the phone shut. Esme's eyes met mine with added warmth. "I'm going to call the airline and arrange our flight home. Would you like to lie down on the bed?" She nodded, never taking her eyes from mine.

"You're not happy," she said, a statement instead of a question.

"It could kill you, Esme," I argued, knowing it would do no good. Her eyes darkened.

"'It' is **our child** , an innocent baby," she said firmly. "And if he or she does kill me, you will take care of our child, and not blame him or her for my body's weaknesses." Proving those weaknesses, she made a few attempts before finally standing and shuffling her way to the bed.

"Don't ask me to watch you die," I begged, rushing to her side and kneeling next to the bed. Something akin to understanding lit her eyes for just a moment.

"I don't want to hurt you," she said, reaching out to touch my cheek, "but I have to do it, Carlisle. I don't care what happens to me, so long as my baby lives." Esme withdrew her hand and rolled onto her side while I collapsed onto the floor. Lyla had said those exact same words to me 352 years ago when she had decided to beg our father to let her baby live, but I had never repeated them. How could Esme have known?

I watched Esme curl herself into a ball, facing away from me, and felt as if someone had tied my hands behind my back with something even a vampire couldn't break through.

While I made my call to the airline and packed the suitcases, I reviewed everything Huilen and Nahuel had said. Perhaps, a way to save both mother and child was in their story. I replayed the day in my head five times, making a few mental notes here and there.

An hour later, we were ready to leave.

"We'll be meeting Alice and Jasper at the airport in fourteen and a half hours," I told Esme. "I've already loaded everything into the boat. Do you need me to carry you?" She shook her head.

"I feel a lot better," she said softly. "How do you think the others will react? Of course, Alice and Edward may already know."

"When Alice called earlier, she said you blurred right out of her vision. She might not be able to see the baby," I explained. Esme grinned.

"Well, well, well, I finally get to surprise my nearly omniscient daughter," she chuckled. I forced myself to smile. It was hard to be happy when I knew I could very well lose the love of my life. Whether by my betrayal, or the birthing process, Esme would be destroyed.

"How can you be so calm?" I demanded fearfully.

"Vivian wasn't the only one in the dream I had two nights ago," she admitted. "There was one other person, and she told me not to let you give up hope. She has faith in you, just like I do."

"Lyla," I breathed, shocked. Esme's dreams always seemed to be more than just dreams, but there was no way Lyla could have spoken to Esme from the grave… unless Lyla really had been at our wedding. I dismissed the thought. Her appearance was the product of wishful thinking. "It couldn't have been." As much as I tried to deny it, though, hope settled into my silent heart.

"The ones we love never truly leave us," Esme said with conviction. "She's been watching over you. She said to tell you she loves you."

"What did she look like?" I asked, trying to remain skeptical.

"Long, wavy, blond hair that went down to her waist; vivid blue eyes; and a kind smile," she replied, determined to prove that she had seen Lyla in her dream. "Her light blue dress was singed and just barely revealed a baby bump." She pulled up her shirt and gestured to her stomach. "Her bump was a little bigger than mine."

I tried to think of a way to give sense to her words, but she had described Lyla perfectly. I looked at the bump. Somehow, someway, I would save them both. I just couldn't give up hope.

Esme's stomach seemed to have settled by the time we boarded the plane to Seattle. We had spent a majority of the other two flights discussing possibilities. "Look at Edward, Bella, Rosalie, and Emmett. They were all on the brink of death when you saved them," Esme whispered. "If the venom saved them, it can work for me, too."

"What makes you think you won't lose too much blood?" I hissed back, unconvinced. "These children rip their way out with their teeth."

"C-section," she said, as if that explained everything. Sadly, I had to agree.

"This is too risky, Esme," I argued. Her eyes flashed with anger, annoyance, and determination.

"When we get home, you can run as many tests as you like. We can see about trying some sort of ultrasound. I will drink as much blood as I can hold, but I will not let anything happen to this baby, Carlisle," she said fiercely. I glanced around to make sure no humans were listening in on our hushed argument before pulling Esme closer.

"I just don't want to lose you, darling," I whispered in her ear, and then pressed my lips against hers.

"I know, honey. I'm scared, too," she admitted softly. "This isn't going to be easy, but I know everything will be okay. We're well informed, and I'll have the best doctor in the entire universe looking after me."

Esme's happy smile twisted into a grimace and she stood, racing toward the restroom. I followed, and held her hair while she vomited. When she was done, she pressed a hand to her stomach, whispering to the bump the way she had before we left the island. A few humans stared as I carried Esme back to our seats. She curled up against my side, and I stroked her hair lightly until she fell asleep. Her calm assurances couldn't ease the worry and pain churning in my mind. Desperately, I clung to the tiny shred of hope and faith I still had left, and prayed Esme would survive the horrors ahead of us.


	31. Decisions, Decisions

_**Decisions, Decisions**_

 **Alice's POV**

"MAKE UP YOUR MIND!" I screamed as the horrifying images continued to bat back and forth between disappearance and fiery death.

 _Esme's skin scintillates brilliantly in the sunlight as she passes by the livingroom window of the cottage. Her face is pained, yet, she keeps pouring gasoline over the entire building. Back in the livingroom, she sits on the couch and lights a match._

 _"I'm sorry," she whispers and drops the match next to her, then rests her hands on her stomach. Flames engulf the couch and her body. Carlisle rushes in, but he is too late. He sits next to her ashes, too numb to feel the fire licking his arms, legs, and face. Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and I manage to restrain Edward and Bella._

I noted the defeated way our bodies slumped to the ground before the scene changed.

 _Carlisle holds Esme closely while she sleeps on the plane. Worry and pain is etched in his face, burning in his eyes. Esme wakes abruptly and rushes to the restroom. Carlisle follows and holds her hair as she retches. Shuddering, Esme places a hand on her stomach. She whispers something unintelligible._

From there the vision became blurry until Esme was no longer in my sight. I cringed, waiting for the burning vision to return. Jasper's arms wound themselves around me. "Why does my gift force me to watch one or both of my parents die?"

Jasper said nothing. Instead, he filled my sight with the colors of his love. Brilliant hues in every shade danced before my eyes, numbing the pain of those horrible visions. A light knock resonated through our room.

"It's time to pick Carlisle and Esme up from the airport," Bella said through the door. We must have been lying together for many, many hours. Jasper stood and pulled me up with him.

"I think Esme might be sick," I told the others and shared the vision where Esme blurred out.

"Carlisle won't let anything happen to Esme," Edward said confidently. "He probably wants to bring her back here before transforming her."

"I hope you're right," I said softly. We sped to the airport, arriving just as their flight landed. Carlisle's eyes were clouded with worry, and he was struggling to keep the forced smile on his face. His eyes immediately locked with Edward's. Wild shock filled my brother's face. Esme, who was smiling brilliantly, didn't seem to notice the exchange. Her skin was pale despite all the sun she had soaked up on the island, yet her eyes were still grey. She was human but almost as pale as Carlisle. A small whine of pain escaped Edward's lips. I gave him a questioning look, but he shook his head.

Esme hugged each of us in turn, beginning with Rosalie. "I've missed you all so much," she said, honestly. Edward was the last of us to leave her embrace. Their eyes met, and I could tell she was speaking to Edward just as Carlisle had.

"How can I not?" he asked rhetorically.

"Do the rest of us get to find out what's going on?" Emmett asked. Esme's smile grew.

"Of course, but we should go home first," she said. Edward took her suitcases from her, and we headed back to the cars. Not once did Esme's radiant smile falter, but in Carlisle's eyes— and now Edward's— I saw flames of worry and pain smoldering beneath the surface. The entire way home, I tried to zero in on the exact moment when Esme would reveal her secret, but every time I tried, she blurred out of my vision again. What could possibly worry Carlisle so much when Esme was ecstatic about it?

Convened in the dining room, all eyes fell on the newlyweds. "First of all, I know this is a shock, but I don't want any of you to worry. Everything is going to be fine. I have just enough faith left to believe that," Esme began, still chipper. "I'm pregnant!"

A tangible current of surprise ran through the room. I felt Jasper's emotions leaking into the air, infecting us all with disbelief and incredulity. My eyes went immediately to Carlisle. "Apparently, it is possible for a male vampire and a female human to procreate," he said quietly, slipping into the stiff terminology of his medical training. "The child will be half-vampire. He, or she, will have a heartbeat, veins full of blood, sharp teeth, and nearly impenetrable skin."

"How do you know this?" I asked. The next question stuck in my throat. What would happen to Esme?

"While hunting on the mainland, I met a vampire named Huilen and her nephew, Nahuel. Nahuel's mother was human, Huilen's sister. I listened to their story at length, and then rushed back to Esme," Carlisle explained, then dropped his voice beyond human hearing. "Huilen's sister did not survive the birthing process. Even with this knowledge, Esme will not let anything happen to the baby. My hands are tied. I cannot make the decision for her."

"So, we're supposed to just watch her die," Bella argued a little too loudly.

"I'm going to be fine, Bella. Thanks to Huilen's story, we know what to expect. I might have to drink some blood at some point, and there's a definite possibility of broken bones, but I am going to be perfectly fine. As soon as the baby is born, I'll hold him or her for a little bit before I make the transformation. We planned everything out on the way home," Esme explained in an attempt to diffuse the situation. Rosalie glared at the rest of us and wrapped her arms around Esme in a quick, loose hug.

"Congratulations!" she said with feeling. "I'm here if you need anything at all."

"Esme, darling, you should rest," Carlisle implored, his tone loving and concerned. I rolled my eyes. He just wanted her out of the room so he could be openly miserable and self-loathing. From the corner of my eye, Edward nodded minutely.

"I suppose I could use a nap," Esme conceded. She stretched up to give Carlisle a kiss on the cheek, and then proceeded to hug each of us individually. Her left hand made its way to the tiny bump in her stomach before she ascended the stairs. We waited in silence until the door to the newlywed's bedroom closed behind her.

"I can't force her," Carlisle said weakly, crumbling into a chair. His words sent my mind racing. "I can't hurt her like that. I can't do a single, bloody thing." I knew Carlisle's English accent became more pronounced when he was upset, but the British curse word startled me. He was scared— scared and desperate.

"You had planned to, though," I said, remembering the vision of burning. "For a few minutes, at least, you had decided to terminate the pregnancy against her will." Carlisle nodded. "That explains the vision. Esme isn't strong enough to lose another child."

"She'd light herself on fire," Edward whispered, aghast. All eyes snapped to me.

"I saw two visions before the two of you boarded your first flight," I told Carlisle. "One was just the two of you on a plane, and Esme threw up before blurring out of sight. In the other vision, Esme is a vampire. She—" I cut off unable to recount the terrifying vision.

"She walks through the cottage, pouring gasoline everywhere, and ends in the living room. Then, Esme sits on the couch, lights a match, whispers an apology, drops the match, and places her hands on her stomach," Edward continued for me, staring at the table without actually seeing it. Carlisle's entire body was taut with dread. "You rush in, but it's too late, so you sit next to her ashes and burn."

Silence fell over the room once more. The sorrow was almost tangible. "We're just going to have to make sure they both live," Rosalie said with determination. "Do we have any idea how long the pregnancy will last?"

"Approximately, eleven days," Carlisle replied. My eyes widened.

"I thought it took nine months!"

"This isn't a normal pregnancy, Alice," Rosalie reminded me impatiently. "Esme already has a baby bump."

"The shorter pregnancy will not be better," Edward spat. He must have been responding to someone's thoughts because no one had mentioned time as a benefit. "Her body won't have time to adjust to the added weight, the hormone changes, the chemical changes, or any of it."

Bella met his searing gaze with love in her eyes. "We will find a way," she promised. "Carlisle, will you tell us all of Huilen's story. If the seven of us work on it, we should be able to come up with a way to make this easier on Mom."

A ghost of half-hearted smile touched Carlisle's lips. Hearing one of us refer to Esme as our mother always made some part of him immensely happy. I listened intently as he recounted Huilen's story, making mental notes as he went along. As we spoke, a vision of Esme with crimson eyes became clearer and clearer in my mind, and I sincerely hoped it wouldn't fade away.


	32. Confessions of a 27yearold Pregnant Lady

_**Author's Note: I am extremely sorry for how long this update has taken. These 26 chapters are my peace offering.  
**_

 _ **Confessions of a Twenty-Seven Year Old Pregnant Woman**_

 **Carlisle's POV**

I stared uneasily at Esme's sleeping form. She couldn't possibly be as sure and as thrilled as she seemed. Jasper walked slowly to my side with worry in his eyes. "She's trying to hide her fear, especially from you. She's desperate to prove that she's strong enough," he said, radiating caution and concern.

"What else?" I asked, knowing he was skating around a very ugly truth. "Esme's asleep now. Is she still scared?"

"I know you would never force an abortion on her, but she's not so sure. Mom knows you'd do anything to save her life. She puts on that damn smile because if you think she's doing fine you will let the baby live."

"You didn't answer my question," I whispered. "Is Esme still scared, even though she's sleeping?"

"Falling asleep is what scares her the most. She's afraid you might give her a sedative to keep her asleep while you… save her," Edward answered, adding the thoughts behind Esme's fears. He nodded toward the door, and we followed him out. "Alice saw Esme waking up if the two of you stayed in the room. She'll let herself fall into REM sleep if she's alone."

"Why would she think I'd…" I trailed off, unable to imagine causing my love any more pain.

"Like Jasper said, Esme knows you'd do anything to save her life. She also knows you couldn't bear to knock her out if she were awake to beg that you didn't," Edward explained. In a single second, it all made sense. I turned around and drifted back into the room. Esme shifted slightly, her arms curling up, but she didn't wake. I walked slowly, careful to make no sound, and knelt next to the bed.

"I know why you're so frightened. You're scared of me, not the fetus siphoning your life away, me," I said, letting all the pain I had to hide when she was awake leak into my voice. "I understand why you feel that way. Hopefully, if I can't reason with you while you're awake, your subconscious will realize I could never betray you so cruelly… so barbarically." My voice broke several times. "You are the very center of all I hold dear. I just wish you trusted me to uphold the vows I took. Not only, 'for better or for worse, in sickness and in health,' but, 'I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy'. I swore to the latter three hundred years ago—before they started changing the Hippocratic Oath to suit new times and mindsets—but I have never broken it."

I took one of Esme's hands in both of mine, and she woke with a start. Fear flashed in her eyes for a single second, and then she hid it. "What time is it?" she asked, glancing at the clock.

"It's just after 7:30 in the evening, darling," I replied. "I'm sorry I woke you. I'll leave so you can get some rest." She gripped my arm with her free hand.

"Could you stay, please?" Esme whispered. I sat next to her on the bed. "I suppose Edward and Jasper broke down and spilled my deep, dark secrets." I nodded. She sat up and sighed. "I heard the three of you talking. They shouldn't have told you."

"You're right," I agreed. "You should have told me." I sat on the bed, and pulled Esme into my arms. "I would sooner light myself on fire than do anything to harm you, but I can't protect you if I don't know what's wrong. You've been downplaying absolutely everything, and it has to stop, now." Lightly, she placed one of my hands on her stomach, and I felt a gentle kick. I pulled Esme into my arms, and drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly.

"I'm nauseous 85% of the day. Standing makes me dizzy for a few seconds. Earlier today, I thought one of the baby's kicks might have broken a rib, but it stopped hurting after about five minutes and hasn't bothered me since. I nearly throw up every time someone rubs my back." Tears filled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, I cry about everything. I was rereading _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ , and, when Dudley said he didn't think Harry was a waste of space, I just burst into tears. I have weird dreams… well, weirder than usual. And, right now, I really need to pee because the baby likes to play patty cake with my bladder."

I got up quickly, still holding Esme in my arms, and then sat her on her feet. She held onto me for a little while before rushing to the bathroom. I waited patiently for Esme to return, processing the amount of things she'd been holding back.

Downstairs the others were discussing our conversation. "Esme shouldn't be so worried," Rosalie said flippantly.

"Yes, Rose, we know. You'd rip Carlisle's arms off before he had the chance to find a needle," Edward fired back menacingly. The front door slammed hard, and the sound of glass shattering reached my ears.

Esme emerged from the bathroom with wide eyes. "Was that the front door?" she asked, frustrated.

"I'll take care of it, darling. Try and get some rest," I said, hoping to ease her stress.

"No, I heard glass break, and we just replaced that door the day before the wedding," she said sternly, and I followed her out the door.

"What happened to the door?" a deep voice asked with a laugh. "Aunt Esme is going to be pissed when she sees this." I froze. We had been avoiding Jake ever since our return. Esme hadn't heard him, so she continued on.

"Edward slammed it," Rosalie replied just as we reached the bottom of the stairs. "Esme went to bed early, so why don't you come back some other time."

Esme stopped, finally catching sight of Jake, but before we could retreat he saw her as well. "Hey, Aunt Esme. How was the island?"

"It was beautiful," she said, not moving. Edward came back in the house, and my eyes locked with his. _Has he noticed, yet?_ I thought toward my son. Edward shook his head infinitesimally. Jake walked straight up to us, and gave Esme one of his trademark bear hugs.

"What the Hell?" he said, promptly letting go of Esme. His eyes fell on her enlarged stomach, and he stepped back in shock. Emmett laughed.

"That's what we said," he told Jake, who stepped away from him.

"I thought you said it was impossible for vampires to have kids," Jake accused, glaring at me. I put an arm around Esme.

"We didn't think it was possible," Esme said, trying to placate him. "As it turns out, a male vampire can get a female human pregnant." Jake's arms shook. "Calm down, Jake. This is a good thing."

"Good," he repeated, skeptically.

"The child is only half-vampire. We've found out a lot, and I'm perfectly fine," Esme said. For once, I fully approved of her downplaying. Jake took a steadying breath and the shaking stopped.

"Okay—I know you're lying to me, but okay," he said, forcing himself to be perfectly calm.

"Fine, your after-shave is making me a little sick, but other than that I feel great," Esme insisted. Jake scrutinized her carefully, and then turned to me.

"This doesn't let you off the hook," he said coldly. "So, what's the deal here? I don't need several medical degrees to know Aunt Esme shouldn't be that big, yet."

"The fetus…" Esme glared at me. "The baby is growing at an accelerated rate. He or she should be born in another week, give or take a few days. Esme will have to make the transformation immediately afterward."

"What's it going to do? Rip its way out?" Jake asked sarcastically.

"He'll try," I replied wryly, "which is why I've been trying to persuade _your_ _aunt_ to let me perform a C-section on the eighteenth, but she's worried that will be too soon for the baby."

"What? You can't reason with _your wife_ , so all of the sudden she's _my aunt_?" he asked defensively. "For the record, though, you should let Carlisle do the C-section as soon as possible, Aunt Esme. Listen to him."

"You know, the baby will have adult level intelligence by the time he or she is born. We could just ask if it's ready to come out. Edward should be able to hear the reply," Bella reasoned. "In the meantime, we could try to get him or her to be gentle with Esme."

"If, and only if, Bella's idea works, you may do the C-section on the eighteenth," Esme allowed, and then she rounded on Edward. "And you had better not lie about the baby's response!"

"Thank you!" I said fervently, kissing her quickly on the lips.

"Alright, so let's just pretend I'm happy about this… yay, another cousin," Jake said, still glaring slightly. "Have you thought up any names yet?" His question stumped me. I hadn't given a single thought as to what we would name the baby. My focus was on Esme, keeping her alive. Esme, however, smiled brightly.

"Well, I've thought of a few, but we don't know whether the baby is a boy or a girl," she said. "For a girl, I was thinking Vivian Lyla or Lyla Vivian, and for a boy Tobias—Toby for short—with either William or Alexander for a middle name."

"Not Alexander," I said immediately, recoiling from the mention of my father's name. Edward gave me a look of sympathy. "So, either Vivian Lyla Cullen, or Tobias William Cullen, will be the name?"

"Unless, you don't like one of them," Esme said. I considered the names carefully and smiled.

"I like them," I assured her.

"Out of curiosity, what's wrong with 'Alexander'?" she asked.

"It was my father's name," I told her quietly. Esme put a hand on my shoulder.

"Is it possible for a centuries-old vampire to have daddy issues?" Jake asked sarcastically. Emmett and Edward growled.

"My father made King Henry VIII seem like a benevolent, family man," I explained.

"Wasn't King Henry VIII the one who beheaded his second wife?" Jake asked with disbelief. Half of the room nodded solemnly. "And your father was worse?" I nodded again.

"Makes you glad to have Billy, doesn't it?" Edward asked rhetorically. Whatever Jake's thoughts were, Edward must have found them amusing because seconds later he chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"You would think, but no," he replied. "And either way, that's her business, not ours."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly did your dad do?" Jake asked.

I focused my gaze at the floor and quietly replied, "He condemned many innocent people to a fiery death. I lost all respect and love for my father when his crusades against 'Satan's worshippers' led to the death of my twin sister, Lyla. We were only fifteen."

Jake's eyes widened with horror, and he turned to Edward. "Please tell me what I'm thinking isn't what happened." Edward looked at the floor. "He killed his own daughter? Burnt her alive? Why?"

"She was condemned for circumstances beyond her control," I said softly, leaving him to his own conjectures.

"That is seriously sick." Jake was shaking his head with disgust.

"The 1600's were not kind," I said, holding in the sea of emotion threatening to drown me as I realized that I had forced four of my children to burn in order to give them eternal life. How was I any better than my father?

"Don't ever think like that, Carlisle!" Edward scolded. "You are nothing like your father, and you were saving our lives—not taking them away. Without you, Bella and I would have died less than a month into our marriage. Emmett and Rosalie would never even have known one another."

Esme turned a reproachful gaze on me but her words were cut off by a yawn. "You need to sleep, love," I said, hoping to avoid a lecture.

"Fine," she said putting her hands on her hips. "But you're coming with me. The baby doesn't kick as much when your hands are on my stomach." I nodded my acquiescence and lifted her into my arms to carry her upstairs. "Goodnight kids. And whoever broke my door had better have it fixed by the time I wake up."

I kissed Esme softly on the lips as I climbed the stairs. I truly did not deserve the beautiful woman in my arms. She was asleep before we reached the room. I gently laid her on the bed and pulled the blankets over her before settling myself next to her, and then spent the night tracing light patterns on her stomach in hopes that the baby would let her rest.


	33. Twin Revelations

_**Author's Note: I am extremely sorry for how long this update has taken. Life got busy, and then the wifi was out for almost a month. These 27 chapters are my peace offering. I hope you all enjoy them. Reviews would be appreciated.  
**_

 _ **Part Two: Twin Revelations**_

 **Esme's POV**

Jake sat on the opposite end of the couch, eying my stomach with dislike. "Will you stop glaring at my stomach, please?" I half-begged half-ordered. "This baby is a precious miracle, and I can't take all the hostility."

"You can barely move, Aunt Esme," he growled. "Your 'precious miracle' is killing you from the inside out."

"It is not the baby's fault. My body is just weaker than his or hers." I turned my attention to the baby. "Which is why Daddy asked you to be very careful with Mommy, isn't it?"

A light nudge hit my abdomen, and I smiled. At least my child was a good listener. Edward laughed. "Okay, well, hopefully he isn't as good a listener as I am, or Rose might get even more defensive," he said, smirking.

"You really think the baby is a boy?" I asked, ignoring his jibe. "I still haven't decided which I think he or she might be." Another nudge landed near my rib cage, and it wasn't anywhere near as gentle as the last one had been. "That's going to be a bruise." Jake resumed his glowering.

"I'm sensing remorse, boredom, and exasperation," Jasper said, moving closer to me, and focusing intently on my abdomen. "It's strange, though. The remorse is stronger on your left side, while the boredom and exasperation are centered more toward the right."

"Twins?" Rosalie asked, sounding delighted.

"It's possible," I said, smiling hopefully. "My great-grandmother was a fraternal twin. Carlisle was a fraternal twin. My biological father was an identical twin. Vivian had identical twins. It is very possible."

"I realize we're all having this big epiphany here, but what do you mean by 'biological father'?" Jake asked. Too late, I realized that Jake knew nothing about his mother's, and aunt's, real father.

"Your mother hated talking about our real father. His name is Richard Platt. He left a few months after I was born. Your Grandpa Shawn adopted Vivian and me when I was two," I explained. "Trust me; you don't want to waste your time thinking about him. He's not worth it."

"Now, back to this twin theory," I said, redirecting the conversation. "Maybe, we should try another ultrasound."

"We still won't be able to see through the amniotic sac, but it could give us something to work with," Carlisle mused. Emmett and Rosalie came down the stairs, carrying the ultrasound machine. No one said anything while Carlisle prepped the machine. "This is going to be cold," he warned, squirting the petroleum jelly on my exposed stomach.

I stared at the screen trying to make sense of what I was seeing when Carlisle sighed. "You were right, Jasper, Rosalie." He gestured to the screen. "There are two, separate amniotic sacs—fraternal twins most likely. I don't know how I missed that the first time."

"This one," Jasper said, pointing to the baby on the left, "is still feeling guilty for being so rough. And, the other one is still bored, but no longer exasperated."

A few tears collected in my eyes. "My babies," I said, staring at the screen, and then looked at Carlisle. "Our babies." Carlisle wiped away a stray tear. "You know, when I was fifteen, I used to babysit for Billy and Vivian. Rachel and Rebecca would swap identities just to confuse me. Jake threw the worst temper-tantrums the world has ever seen. I remember swearing that I would never have more than one child, and now I have eight."

"Yes, but six of us are hardly children," Alice reminded me, and then glanced at Emmett. "Okay, five of us."

"A thousand years from now, you'll still be my kids," I assured her.

"Well, if I only get to remember one mom, at least she's awesome," she said, giving me a big hug.

"Your first mother was pretty awesome, too, and someday you will remember her." The heavily-accented voice floated through the air like a whisper on the wind. White lights swirled behind the sonogram screen, revealing a young, blonde girl with dark blue eyes. Carlisle stumbled backward into a chair.

"Lyla," he breathed, staring at her as if he didn't believe she was really there. Emmett, Edward, and Jasper moved to stand between her and Carlisle.

"It's really me, Carlisle," she said softly. I stood and walked toward the girl, but Rosalie blocked my path. "Oh, come on. Edward, you can hear my thoughts. You know full well I am nothing but a corporeal spirit sent to Earth by The Powers that Be."

"How did you know I could hear your thoughts?" Edward asked pointedly.

"I've been watching over this one for the last 352 years, haven't I?" she countered, gesturing toward Carlisle's still shocked form. Bella's eyes widened.

"It was you I saw standing behind Carlisle while the venom burned Edward and me. You were talking to him, saying he made the right choice. You said Carlisle needed us to help him remember something," she recalled. "I thought I was hallucinating."

"You were flickering between life and death, so I'm guessing you were rather close to dying when you saw me. I was there for almost all of your transformations," Lyla revealed. "I only missed Jasper's, and then Alice's, because I didn't know I should have been watching, but I went back and reviewed them." Finally, Edward relaxed his protective stance. However, Jasper and Emmett were still wary.

"She's telling the truth, guys," Edward assured them. The two walked over to their wives, giving Carlisle room to stand.

"I'm glad you finally figured out that Esme is carrying twins. I wasn't allowed to descend until you knew," Lyla said, speaking only to Carlisle. He walked slowly to face his sister, and then pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry," Carlisle whispered. "I wanted to save you. I tried, but they wouldn't listen. He never listened."

"I know you tried, but you shouldn't have," she scolded, a few tears leaking down her cheeks. "Dying was my fate, my destiny. It's always been your destiny to live; which is why immortality found you. You nearly signed your own death sentence trying to save me, you dolt!"

"There's my overprotective twin sister," he said, attempting to smile. "How did you get here?"

"They sent me," she said, her eyes flicking upward. "I'm not allowed to talk about them, and what's up there. I'm only here to tell you things you need to know and give a few gifts."

"So, you're dead, but you're here now with knowledge and presents?" Jake said, speaking for the first time since Lyla appearance. Lyla nodded.

"It is a little strange," she admitted. "For instance, I haven't been nauseous in 352 years, but right now… ugh. It seems I'm not the only one who's temporarily alive again." She caressed her stomach lovingly the way I often did.

"You were pregnant when you died?" Jake asked, incredulous. "Carlisle said you guys were fifteen when you passed away!"

"I didn't give Jake all of the details," Carlisle admitted.

"I know. Let's talk about happier things, though. I brought gifts! They're not material things, of course, but I think you'll like them anyway," Lyla said, effectively changing the subject.

"The first goes to Edward and Bella because they were the first to join Carlisle. The two of you kept him from giving up. You reminded him of love's importance, and without you, he would never have found Esme," she said, smiling, and placed a hand of each of their faces. "With this gift, you will be able to speak telepathically to one another no matter how far apart you might be. Bella, your shield will still protect you from Edward's mind-reading abilities. The two of you will be able to project your thoughts to each other without Bella lowering her shield."

Edward and Bella looked at one another, obviously testing the gift. "Thank you," they said simultaneously, hugging Lyla.

"I should be thanking you," she countered before moving on.

"Rosalie, I tried to hold your hand during your transformation. I knew exactly how you felt: angry, confused, upset. You felt as if something was being stolen from you. Transforming you was a selfish thing for Carlisle to do, but you kept me alive in his mind. Without you, he would have tried to forget me because holding onto my memory was hurting him. I also want to thank you for finally letting him into your heart.

"Emmett, you've given us all a lot of laughs over the years. You were also a voice of reason to Rosalie when her temper got the best of her. You kept this entire family sane with your antics. Thank you.

"For all of that, I offer you both this vision of a very possible future." She placed her hands on their faces just as she had with Edward and Bella. "Close your eyes, and don't fight what you're seeing." They stood facing each for a solid three minutes. Rose seemed shocked by what she was seeing, but Emmett looked proud and thrilled.

"How?" Rose asked when the vision ended. "How is that possible? I'm frozen."

"You're frozen now, but you won't always be. I can't tell you how, but you'll find out soon," Lyla told her matter-of-factly.

"I promise you, babe," Emmett said with a new intensity. "We will make that vision come true."

"What did you see?" I asked knowing only one thing could make Rosalie so hopeful.

"I saw a little boy with dark, curly hair and mischievous blue eyes," she said, eyes full of wonder. "I was holding him in my arms. His name was Henry, and he was ours." She gazed up at Emmett with the same look I had given Carlisle earlier. "We looked different, too— more human.

"How could that be?" Carlisle asked, incredulous.

"You'll see. I'm not supposed to give too many details. However, Alice might be able to," Lyla said, turning to face her. "You are so much different from the others. You chose Carlisle and his family. You waited a great many years to find Jasper and bring him with you to join this family. You also protected them. Your gift of foresight has been invaluable.

"I know how much it annoys you to be bound by your own nature, so, I'm going to unbind you. My gift to you is the ability to see all types of beings; which does include half-vampires and werewolf shape shifters. You won't be able to see them at will for a while, but future events should help it along." Lyla placed her palm to Alice's cheek and transferred the gift. Alice's eyes moved rapidly beneath her eyelids as if a dozen images were flickering before them. Lyla pulled her hand away. "There is another part to my gift, but it will take time—possibly years—to develop. You will also have the ability to see the past; however, you'll only see what's important, or what pertains to the situation."

"So, in the right situation, I could see my past?" Alice asked, suddenly uncertain of her power boost. Lyla nodded.

"If anyone can handle the ability to see across time, it's you," she said, reassuringly.

"Jasper, I spent a long time trying to decide what to give you. I know you won't complain to anyone other than Alice, but you've never gotten used to the 'vegetarian' lifestyle. My gift to you would make animal blood much more palatable— maybe even appetizing. Human blood won't call to you as strongly, either."

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I've never been one for the easy road. I would prefer my strength to be of my own doing. What you've done for my Alice is gift enough for me, ma'am," Jasper said softly, dipping his head respectfully. I gave my son a knowing look. He would never accept help when his loved ones had accomplished it all on their own. Lyla seemed shocked, but recovered quickly.

"Then, please, accept my absolute gratitude," she replied. "You've been an instrumental part of this family, especially since Carlisle and Esme met. It's not always easy to sort out your own feelings, so it's good to have someone around to help. You should try for a psychology degree next time you go to college."

"Is it my turn, yet?" I asked, getting up to hug the young girl. She had become like a sister to me after all the times we had spoken in my dreams, and with her standing in front of me it was easy to see that our conversations had been real. Lyla laughed, hugging me back. "How long do you get to stay?"

"I have about five months. The official date of my return to the afterlife isn't set in stone yet because it's not exactly up to me," she replied. "I have something important to do here, and when it's done, I'll die again.

"So, they're just going to give you back for a few months, and then take you away again. How is that fair?" Carlisle said bitterly. Lyla fixed him with a stern gaze.

"Carlisle Alexander Cullen, will you stop feeling guilty long enough to see how happy I am," she growled. His eyes flashed, but Lyla ignored it. "I am at peace. I forgave them all, and I moved on. I'm only here because, for the first time in almost four hundred years, you need me. Someone has to yell some sense into you."

"Okay, you're not yelling sense into anyone right now," Alice interjected. "You are going to sit down and relax for a few minutes before you pass out." She guided us both back to the couch, shaking her head. "She's worse than you, Esme."

Carlisle took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Lyla. I just don't understand why you would come back to life now."

"I told you," she said, exasperated. "I'm here to yell some sense into you the way only a twin sister can! Bad thing is you're a bit like Father; which means you probably still won't listen."

"I am nothing at all like that man!" Carlisle insisted lapsing into the same thick English accent Lyla had. She put her hands on her hips and fixed him with a fierce glare.

"Oh, yes, you are," she insisted. "You would never burn your own child at the stake. However, if Esme dies, you'll blame them the same way Father blamed us. You won't really mean to, but a part of you will resent your children for taking Esme away from you."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Carlisle demanded.

"Everything," Lyla replied. "You need to let go of your anger and hatred if you're ever going to be truly happy. You need to stop living in the past, and look to the future. Eternity is in front of you, and it is beautiful. If you don't believe me, ask Alice."

As if on cue, Alice's eyes slid out of focus. "So many?" she said with such surprise the words seemed like a question. "The twins, Henry, Lillian, Lucy… hmm… Lucy looks a lot like Rose, but she's a day or two younger than Henry. No, Lucy can't be Rosalie's daughter. She's human, and she called Esme her aunt."

"Lucy is the reason I'm staying for five months. She's my daughter," Lyla said, smiling widely. "Father was supposed to let her come into the world before I died. Carlisle would have raised her until he became a vampire, and then watched over her from a distance afterward." Lyla turned toward Carlisle's shocked form. "She would've been dying at age eighteen, and you would have saved her. You never would have created another vampire until Esme if things had gone according to plan. Our father messed up the Grand Design when he burnt me ahead of schedule. It's time for things to right themselves. For instance, Lucy was also supposed to find her mate near Forks."

"How can things right themselves if Lucy still hasn't been born?" I wondered aloud.

"Well, it's simple and complicated. It's very rare for soul mates to be reassigned, but circumstances change. We all have a second—maybe even third—person in line just in case something happens to the first one or something irrevocable happens to us. If Carlisle had never become a vampire, he would have eventually married, but the transformation altered him. A new love had to be found, and in all of space and time you were the only one who could possibly make Carlisle as happy as he would have been with the first woman he was destined to marry. Of course, that woman was your many-times-great-grandmother, anyway."

"So, likewise, Lucy and her first soul mate have moved on to their respective seconds-in-line." Edward added. "Who was Lucy meant to be with originally?"

"A werewolf," Lyla replied, gazing at Jake. "Oddly enough, the treaty wouldn't have been born until Seth Clearwater imprinted on Lucy in the middle of an attack."

Emmett snickered. "Wow, Carlisle, you'd be in serious trouble without us. Three against two is much better odds. Jake might have stopped you from marrying Esme."

"He would have tried," Lyla said with a tad bit of condescension in her tone. "Nevertheless, true love conquers all!"

"Don't take it personally," Carlisle told Jake, casting a stern look at Lyla. "She's always been this annoying."

"Well, at least you've gotten past your issues with my death for now, little brother," Lyla chirped. It was very odd to hear someone so young refer to Carlisle as her "little brother".

"It's easy to fall into old patterns, even after three hundred years," he said flippantly, but I knew he was burying his feelings as deeply as he could. I cast a sideways glance at Jasper who gazed back at me innocently until I looked away again. When Lyla left, Carlisle would take it very hard, and Jasper was only trying to help him enjoy the time he had with his sister. Unbidden, a thought occurred to me. If Lyla were a vampire they wouldn't be able to take her away again. She deserved a second chance at life.

"Who is Lucy's new soul mate, now that Seth has Marie?" I asked, absorbing myself in the labyrinth our future was becoming.

"Not even Alice can see that," Lyla chuckled. "Some things are meant to be a surprise while others would wreak havoc on the lives of those involved." Her eyes fell on Jake again, this time with a look of sympathy, but he didn't notice.

Alice let out a trilling soprano giggle. "They're all so adorable. From what I can tell the twins, Henry, and Lucy are set in stone. They will exist. Lillian is a very strong possibility. She seems to be Henry's little sister. There are others, though—Renesmee, Alice Marie, and EJ—who aren't as likely. There's barely a glimmer of Alice Marie and EJ."

"What does EJ stand for?" I asked, curious.

"I have no idea. I don't even know what he looks like! It's kind of like I'm getting a voice recording rather than a moving picture. You scold him, saying, 'EJ, I just replaced that window,' and he replies guiltily, 'Sorry, Gran-Gran, I'll fix it later,' like that would make it better."

"Everyone called my Great-Grandma Lea 'Gran-Gran'," I mused. "Maybe, EJ is my great-grandson… or will be my great-grandson."

"Well, whoever EJ is, Lillian seems to have a thing for him," Alice revealed. "Ooh, you don't seem too happy about it, though, Rose." Her eyes glazed over. "I love not having limits."

"Aunt Lyla, I do believe you have created a monster," Emmett said, shaking his head but laughing all the same. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry," Lyla replied, her eyes on Alice. "I know what I'm doing." Lyla turned her gaze back to Emmett. "You called me 'Aunt Lyla'. Quickest to call Carlisle 'Father'; first to call Jasper 'Brother'; first to call Esme 'Mother'; you really do accept anyone as family so long as you like them or someone you love loves them. I've always liked that about you."

"I grew up in a big family, and we were all really close. During my human life, I wrestled with my brothers during hunting trips."

"Well, that hasn't changed," Jasper interjected.

"No, it hasn't," Emmett agreed. "I've just never been one for casting people out unless they truly deserve it. It's not the way I was raised."

"That's going to come in handy, Emmett," Alice said with a grin. Edward doubled over with laughter in the corner. "Because EJ looks a lot like Jacob." Rosalie and Jake looked at one another with horror while the rest of us burst into laughter.


End file.
